An almost fatal case of marine stinger (sea wasp, box jelly-fish or chironex fleckeri)

Abstract

A brief review of previous literature indicates that Townsville region has the largest number of reported deaths in the world due to box jelly-fish which abound in Australasian oceans. A 20-yr-old white pregnant female was sitting in Rowes Bay, Townsville, (shallow water), on 19 March 1979. Suddenly she screamed with pain and became irrational. According to bystanders respiratory arrest occurred and pulse was absent. A nurse who was on the beach gave her mouth-to-mouth artificial resuscitation. The owner of the caravan park, nearby, doused her with ‘metho” and “stingose’, literally within minutes. She was rushed to Townsville General Hospital in an ambulance. On examination at 12.30 pm she was unconscious, very restless and agitated, with wheezy respirations. She was treated by intubation, O2, I.V. morphine, antivenene. Extensive dark pink-red weal marks appeared on left thigh, hand, forearm and lower abdomen with oedema and blistering, total WBC count was 32,700 with 9% basophils, 1% metamyelocytes and toxic granulations. Nematocysts were obtained from the skin lesions and the diagnosis was established. She delivered a normal baby in May 1979. A brief review of previous literature indicates that Townsville region has the largest number of reported deaths in the world due to box jelly-fish which abound in Australasian oceans. A 20-yr-old white pregnant female was sitting in Rowes Bay, Townsville, (shallow water), on 19 March 1979. Suddenly she screamed with pain and became irrational. According to bystanders respiratory arrest occurred and pulse was absent. A nurse who was on the beach gave her mouth-to-mouth artificial resuscitation. The owner of the caravan park, nearby, doused her with ‘metho” and “stingose’, literally within minutes. She was rushed to Townsville General Hospital in an ambulance. On examination at 12.30 pm she was unconscious, very restless and agitated, with wheezy respirations. She was treated by intubation, O2, I.V. morphine, antivenene. Extensive dark pink-red weal marks appeared on left thigh, hand, forearm and lower abdomen with oedema and blistering, total WBC count was 32,700 with 9% basophils, 1% metamyelocytes and toxic granulations. Nematocysts were obtained from the skin lesions and the diagnosis was established. She delivered a normal baby in May 1979.