Aa
Spider bite, probably
My daughter has a bite on the back of her leg that started out like a mosquito bite. Now, it is the size of a half dollar and several days later. The emergency room doctor said he hasn't seen anything like this, gave cephalexin 250 mg and a bacitracin. I don't think this thing is healing fast enough. Also when she took her bandaid off, some of her skin came off with it too. It now looks like a red fevered (it burns) open sore with 40 pinhead little greyish blisters.
I'm not sure this is the right treatment as it is not healing and I'm concern about the headaches too. I think it really looks terrible but the doctors here in MN are not really 'up' on different spider bites.
The spider that bit her was brown with stripes and kind of hairy looking. But the dum dum tossed it away before IDing.
It looks to me like the infection is deep in the fatty tissue under her skin. I will email you a photo what it looks like; We will go see another doctor (third) but maybe you have some insight I can bring to the next doctor and get maybe a better 'med' for this before it leaves her a humungous scar or worse poisons her system.
What do you think we should be doing?
I'm not sure this is the right treatment as it is not healing and I'm concern about the headaches too. I think it really looks terrible but the doctors here in MN are not really 'up' on different spider bites.
The spider that bit her was brown with stripes and kind of hairy looking. But the dum dum tossed it away before IDing.
It looks to me like the infection is deep in the fatty tissue under her skin. I will email you a photo what it looks like; We will go see another doctor (third) but maybe you have some insight I can bring to the next doctor and get maybe a better 'med' for this before it leaves her a humungous scar or worse poisons her system.
What do you think we should be doing?
A related discussion, Which doc to see was started.
A related discussion, Clear Skin was started.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The quotation you give:
He explained something about how herpes virus is 'in' all of us from chicken pox days, and sometimes it breaks out with other infections like shingles or like this..a spider bite.
does not really make much sense, at least the way you report it. It sounds as though your doctor thinks it might be a hepres infection instead of a spider bite--Famciclovir is intended to treat herpes. That's possible, I guess, but the duration of symptoms seems long for herpes.
The culture and subsequent course should tell the tale.
Dr. Rockoff
He explained something about how herpes virus is 'in' all of us from chicken pox days, and sometimes it breaks out with other infections like shingles or like this..a spider bite.
does not really make much sense, at least the way you report it. It sounds as though your doctor thinks it might be a hepres infection instead of a spider bite--Famciclovir is intended to treat herpes. That's possible, I guess, but the duration of symptoms seems long for herpes.
The culture and subsequent course should tell the tale.
Dr. Rockoff
Well, went now to the third DR. who said the Cephalexin was not the right antibiotic for this spider bite, switched to Doxycycline and some other med Famciclovir; He explained something about how herpes virus is 'in' all of us from chicken pox days, and sometimes it breaks out with other infections like shingles or like this..a spider bite. He did culture it, but he does thing that it is a secondary infection too.. herpes virus.
He said the topical bacitracin also is really not going to be effective, but she can use it if it 'feels' better keeping it moist cause the drying and cracking and breaking of the little blisters burns and hurts. So here we go again. Two weeks with the wrong antibiotic so far.
I thought herpes was std?
Does this sound right? I hope so, cause now there are new bumps appearing out even farther.
MN doctors are not really that familar with spider bites, they just don't happen much here.
Isn't there a specialist in 'bites'?? This could be a real nasty scar!
-kahvia
He said the topical bacitracin also is really not going to be effective, but she can use it if it 'feels' better keeping it moist cause the drying and cracking and breaking of the little blisters burns and hurts. So here we go again. Two weeks with the wrong antibiotic so far.
I thought herpes was std?
Does this sound right? I hope so, cause now there are new bumps appearing out even farther.
MN doctors are not really that familar with spider bites, they just don't happen much here.
Isn't there a specialist in 'bites'?? This could be a real nasty scar!
-kahvia
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Spider bits can cause a lot of inflammation, which can take some time to heal, but rarely are there systemic consequences. If there were going to any in your daughter's case, they would have been present for some time already.
Chances are, what you're seeing is a chemical reaction to the toxins the spider depositied in the kin, rather than bacteria.
I would recomment that the would be cultured, antibiotics be continued, and the site monitored for healing, which is likely to be slow (measured in weeks). But as long as the site does not spread--and I don't believe it will--then she should be fine.
If your doctor has concerns about deep-tissue infection, the consultation with a specialist in infectious diasease or surgery might be recommended. However, an ugly appearance does not by any means imply that deep infection is present. Spider bites can look awful, until they heal.
You're doing the right thing. Just keep an eye on things (along with your doctors), and she should be fine.
Best.
Dr. Rockoff
Chances are, what you're seeing is a chemical reaction to the toxins the spider depositied in the kin, rather than bacteria.
I would recomment that the would be cultured, antibiotics be continued, and the site monitored for healing, which is likely to be slow (measured in weeks). But as long as the site does not spread--and I don't believe it will--then she should be fine.
If your doctor has concerns about deep-tissue infection, the consultation with a specialist in infectious diasease or surgery might be recommended. However, an ugly appearance does not by any means imply that deep infection is present. Spider bites can look awful, until they heal.
You're doing the right thing. Just keep an eye on things (along with your doctors), and she should be fine.
Best.
Dr. Rockoff
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