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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
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Scorpion sting leaves Arizona woman with huge bill
PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona woman is wondering what hurt more: getting stung by a scorpion or seeing her hospital bill after treatment.
Marcie Edmonds says the bill from Chandler Regional Medical Center was more than $83,000. That includes two doses of anti-venom at nearly $40,000 per
dose.
The Arizona Republic (http://bit.ly/RD6bX8) says Edmonds' insurer has paid more than $57,000 and the suburban Phoenix hospital is asking Edmonds for the balance of
about $25,000.
The 52-year-old Ahwatukee (ah-wha-TU'-kee) Foothills resident was stung in June while opening a box of air conditioner filters in her garage.
Edmonds says an emergency room doctor told her about the Mexican anti-venom Anascorp that could quickly relieve her symptoms, but she was never told
about the cost.
Chandler Regional says Edmonds' bill represents the out-of-network costs for her treatment.
___
Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64762
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Is the Arizona scorpion different than those in Baja, which hurt, but are not so dangerous to require ant-venom...? Just ask Graham Mackintosh, stung
three times during his walk around Baja adventure.
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Katiejay99
Nomad
Posts: 429
Registered: 9-3-2008
Location: Todos Santos
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Mood: it is what it is
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I got stung by one not too long ago and a Mexican friend just happened to come by. I showed him the wound and he immediately ran out to his car,
grabbed the dip stick and then wiped that on the wound. It stopped hurting immediately and did not return, and the swelling went down. He told me it
is an old trick here and you have to use the oil from a warm motor. Worked great and didn't cost me a cent!
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Is the Arizona scorpion different than those in Baja, which hurt, but are not so dangerous to require ant-venom...? Just ask Graham Mackintosh, stung
three times during his walk around Baja adventure. |
I was hoping this would generate some responses as it is 'common' in Baja and the warm oil trick sure went into my notes.
David the article say's "the Mexican anti-venom Anascorp". Mexican?
Carrying a uv flashlight is fun, they fluoresce beautifully.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64762
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Mexico is a BIG country, and Arizona and Sonora share a common desert... so 'Mexican' anti-venom may be for more dangerous (?) species in other parts
of Mexico.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64762
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Katiejay99
I got stung by one not too long ago and a Mexican friend just happened to come by. I showed him the wound and he immediately ran out to his car,
grabbed the dip stick and then wiped that on the wound. It stopped hurting immediately and did not return, and the swelling went down. He told me it
is an old trick here and you have to use the oil from a warm motor. Worked great and didn't cost me a cent! |
THIS IS AWESOME INFORMATION.
I haven't been stung (yet) by a scorpion, but I try to have tea tree oil (melaleuca alternafolia) with me as it is a well known neutralizer of many
venoms.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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The Arizona Bark Scorpion is considered to be dangerous and it supposedly is common on the mainland all the way down to and including the state of San
Luis Potosi. Maybe there are Bark Scorpions in the extreme northeast of Baja California.
Some people have a very bad reaction to a common scorpion sting. As an EMT I learned that involuntary eye movement, excessive salivation, and writhing
(especially in small children) are warning signs. With a child 50 lbs or less, it would be foolish to not treat a scorpion sting as a medical
emergency. They get stung, you're on the way to the nearest medical facility, right now. A disheartening percentage of deaths from scorpion stings
happen to young children and the elderly whom are in frail health.
Cribs, playpens, bassinets, should always have mosquito netting placed over them.
Scorpions can and will sting multiple times if they feel the need to. Different species have different venom, and different scorpions hold varying
amounts of venom.
I talked this point over thoroughly with my USA internal medicine doctor and he issued a treatment recommendation for me. There are Rx antihistamines
a lot stronger than Benadryl FYI if the doctor feels you need it.
The Tatantula Hunter AKA Tarantula Hawk hornet is also to be reckoned with IMHO. As far as anaphylactic shock likelyhood is concerned, a sting from a
Tarantula Hunter is far more serious than a sting from a "normal" honeybee, yellow jacket (wasp) or hornet. People are commonly stung when they stick
a finger in something that temporarily is housing one of these critters (like a shoe, or box). People other than I claim their sting is the most
painful one in nature. I say, I don't want to find out.
Hope This Helps
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Pacifico
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 5-26-2008
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Ya gotta look out for scorpions in Baja! They are everywhere!!!
"Plan your life as if you are going to live forever. Live your life as if you are going to die tomorrow." - Carlos Fiesta
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55steve
Senior Nomad
Posts: 857
Registered: 4-24-2006
Location: Warner Springs, CA
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I got stung in bed in the trailer at BoLA this past June - little bugger got me on the right elbow. It hurt for about 3 days. The pain extended from
my wrist to my shoulder. It was painful but not as intense as a sculpin poke.
[Edited on 9-6-2012 by 55steve]
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 8-5-2011
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Nice markup
It's no wonder why insurance premiums are so high.
"The Arizona Republic reported last year about the pricey markup Arizona hospitals were charging for the antivenom made in Mexico. Pharmacies in
Mexico charge about $100 per dose."
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/20120831scorpion-...
[Edited on 9-6-2012 by SFandH]
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bajachris
Nomad
Posts: 196
Registered: 3-29-2009
Location: San Diego, San Juanico, San Andres
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Mood: Love Baja
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I was sitting by a fire at Scorpion Bay and a scorpion ran up my pant leg and stung my ankle. Used a little Benedryl and it itched a little but really
no big deal. I think there are many types of Scorpions and I beleive the smaller ones may be more deadly.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64762
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Tarantula Hawk Wasp
| Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
The Tarantula Hunter AKA Tarantula Hawk hornet is also to be reckoned with IMHO. As far as anaphylactic shock likelyhood is concerned, a sting from a
Tarantula Hunter is far more serious than a sting from a "normal" honeybee, yellow jacket (wasp) or hornet. ... People other than I claim their sting
is the most painful one in nature. I say, I don't want to find out.
Hope This Helps |
Here are some photos of one attracted to our sliced tomatoes, south of San Felipe... They do not attack humans, and stings are rare... but reported
very painful, as Dah-veed says.
She had no problem with me getting this close, and after drinking some tomato juice, flew off.
From Wikipedia:
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp which hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera
Pepsis and Hemipepsis in the family Pompilidae (spider wasps).
The more familiar species are up to five centimetres (two inches) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings (other species have black
wings with blue highlights), making them among the largest of wasps. The coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous
(aposematism). Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 7 mm (1/3 inch)
long, and the sting is considered among the most painful insect stings in the world.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
The Tarantula Hunter AKA Tarantula Hawk hornet is also to be reckoned with IMHO. As far as anaphylactic shock likelyhood is concerned, a sting from a
Tarantula Hunter is far more serious than a sting from a "normal" honeybee, yellow jacket (wasp) or hornet. ... People other than I claim their sting
is the most painful one in nature. I say, I don't want to find out.
Hope This Helps |
DK-these are all over San Diego...I see them all the time on my trails runs especially during summer.
Here are some photos of one attracted to our sliced tomatoes, south of San Felipe... They do not attack humans, and stings are rare... but reported
very painful, as Dah-veed says.
She had no problem with me getting this close, and after drinking some tomato juice, flew off.
From Wikipedia:
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp which hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera
Pepsis and Hemipepsis in the family Pompilidae (spider wasps).
The more familiar species are up to five centimetres (two inches) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings (other species have black
wings with blue highlights), making them among the largest of wasps. The coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous
(aposematism). Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 7 mm (1/3 inch)
long, and the sting is considered among the most painful insect stings in the world. |
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Getting Stung By Dependence On One Of These Is Way Worse
EXAMPLE OF HABITAT
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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I once rescued a tarantula that had been stung by a tarantula hawk who was in the process of dragging it into it's burrow, I put the comatose
tarantula in a shoe box and after about 2-3 months it finally woke up and a couple of weeks later I released it. The venom in those things is mighty
strong stuff.
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1bobo
Nomad
Posts: 116
Registered: 2-5-2010
Location: Mulege
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I was stung by one of those little pale yellow ones last year. Took a seasick pill (Bonine?) and it itched for a day. I had a lot of room in my bed,
but I guess he wanted it to himself.
The yellow jackets affect me a lot more, but everyone reacts differently.
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Bugman
Nomad
Posts: 143
Registered: 9-20-2006
Location: Escondido
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There are many species of scorpions and while only a few have venom that can put you in the hospital, it is hard to tell the difference. Size means
nothing as you could be looking at a nasty small one or a juvenile of a larger more harmless one. The only general rule that works much of the time
is the size of the claws. The ones with more powerful claws don't need potent venom to subdue their prey. Problem with this rule is that without two
types for comparison, it is hard to tell if the claws are big or not. If stung make sure to seek medical attention if your symptoms appear to be
going beyond what you might expect from a typical bee sting. Baja does have a couple nasty ones that you don't want to mess with and there are others
on the mainland that range up into Arizona. If you live in San Diego, we have no native species here that are likely to cause issues. It still hurts
like heck when you get stung but that should be about the extent of it. 
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daveB
Nomad
Posts: 244
Registered: 11-6-2003
Location: B.C. Canada
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Mood: wondering about Nomads!
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One thing we remember from our months on the mainland Pacific coast was that, in the event of a scorpion sting, you should bring the dead scorpion
with you if visiting a doctor. Apparently they can treat you according to the kind of scorpion that got you. We never heard of an expensive
scorpion-induced doctors visit there.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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(Apparently) the new antivenom really works better than anything before it to subdue side effects (allergic reaction), and pain. I hope I never have
to decide to part with a hundred dollar bill to find out.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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bobjones35
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: 1-16-2008
Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, ca
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I was warned not to leave my wetsuit on the ground during the night because the scorpions like the warm, moist environment. But, mine fell off the
line and I did not check it. Needless to say I received a sting on the foot which tingled all day. (Like when your foot is "asleep" after pinching
the nerve. I used "After bite" to deaden the pain as was fine the next day. I have also seen scorpions in wetsuits twice since then. So...Don't
leave wetsuits on the beach or floor. (All this was at Sanfrancisquito, by the way.) Bob
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