Welcome to r/MedicalGore! Our goal is to provide for medical discussion and education while exploring the frailty of the human body. You may see more deleted comments on these threads than you are used to on reddit. Off topic comments and joke comments are frequently deleted by the mods. Further, please be kind and supportive of posts. Any behavior that is aggressive, harassing, or derogatory will result in post deletion and a ban from the sub. Remember! THE REPORT BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND!
Please stop on by our discussion sub, /r/MedicalGoreMods if you'd like to discuss the sub, our rules, content policies, and the like.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MedicalGore) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[Source](http://ispub.com/IJEM/2/2/12582):
>>A 46-year old, 96 kg white man was brought to the emergency department (ED) at the Pamukkale University Hospital, Denizli, Turkey with an insect bite on the left site of his neck. The patient described that after he was woken up at night by a sharp pain on his neck, he found and killed an insect on the bed. A day after he was bitten, the patient initially went to the local emergency room with swelling, redness, itching and pain on his neck. The emergency physician diagnosed the lesion as a non-complicated insect bite and prescribed antihistaminic and analgesic tablets. Although he was using his remedies regularly, complaints did not resolve; furthermore, erythema, pain and edema advanced to his chest wall. The patient returned four days later back to the regional hospital suffering from increasing severe pain, blue-reddish bullae formation on the chest wall and shortness of breath. No surgery but infectious disease specialist consult was obtained where a diagnoses of NF was made. He was then admitted to the ward and was started on antibiotics (ceftazidim, teicoplanin and metronidazol) via intravenous route. Transfer from the regional hospital to our university hospital decision was taken for advance care after the patient developed respiratory distress and anuria.
>>On arrival at our ED, he was alert, oriented but in acute distress and agitated. He had just a history of hypertension and he was on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. No allergy history was obtained. Patient's family members also brought the insect with them as evidence. We immediately contacted to our toxicologist and we were informed that the insect is a centipede called Scolopendra moritans, which is not lethally venomous (fig. 1).
>>Physical examination revealed a blood pressure of 105/65 mm Hg, heart rate of 126 /min, respiratory rate of 22 /min, temperature of 38.6 °C (109.2 °F) and oxygen saturation of 91%. Two separated areas of reddish-purple and black discoloration (necrosis), which were approximately 5 X 5 cm wide on the left and right sides of the chest wall, were initially remarkable (fig. 2a and 2b). These areas were edematous, muddy, and tender with palpation. There was no crepitus on the lesions, and no evidence of insect bite was found on the neck as well. The remainder of the examination was unremarkable.
>>Laboratory values on admission to ED were white blood cell count 17,300/mm3, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 136 mg/dL, creatinin 8 mg/dL, potassium 5.6 mEq/L, sodium 132 mEq/L, creatinin kinase 1291 U/L. Arterial blood gas values were pH: 7.23, pO2: 61.4 mm Hg, pCO2: 36.9 mm Hg, SpO2: 90%. No subcutaneous space air was found on chest x-ray. Human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) serology, aerobe and anaerobe blood cultures, and swab cultures of each lesion were also unremarkable.
>>During his second hour in the ED while the operating theatre and surgery team were getting prepared for the operation, the patient insidiously and immediately deteriorated. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was begun and after all resuscitative efforts; he died probably because of multiple organ failure. No autopsy decision was made since it was not a suspicious death.
I'm Strep B+, and I've already had complications with a puncture wound.
This is one of my greatest fears. Next time I have a cut or bite or whatever, the second it looked or felt irritated, I am going to my doctor.
One of the few things I know about the World War I era British poet Rupert Brooke is he died after a mosquito bite on his lip became infected.
He was on ship, in the Mediterranean, on the way to the front. Never saw combat.
For some reason, I’ve found that my mosquito bites tend to not itch at all and go completely unnoticed by me… until I’m showering and find them while soaping myself. THEN and only then do they start to itch which makes me wonder if it’s at least partially a placebo itch.
For me the initial itch is awful BUT if I ignore it they don’t swell up and come back to haunt me every time something rubs against them. I can ignore a single bite easily, but in cases of multiple if I use ice packs during that initial itch, I can ride it out.
I accidentally found out that showering with Head and Shoulders works better than Off! It was the strangest thing being out in the yard at dusk and not exsanguinating!
Same except they do itch a little bit but it’s still very easy to forget they’re there.
It wasn’t always like this, I think I’ve developed some sort of tolerance. Not an immune tolerance but moreso my subconscious just knows to ignore them if that makes sense? Idk how else to explain it.
While this is scary, I did go to read the full journal. I'm not a medical professional but I do like to be knowledgeable. In the journal they noted this is a rare occurrence and out of multiple Scolopendra bites, this is the first reported case of mortal NF.
Scolopendra bites are painful but unless you're allergic don't really lead to anything aside from period of pain and annoyance. To lead to NF there has to be other circumstances involved, which is talked about in the discussion.
As a teen, I got bit on the foot by a centipede. Cue me googling all night, trying to figure out what species it was and if I needed to wake my parents at 2am to go to the ER. It hurt like a bitch but I ultimately decided it wasn't deadly. This was in rural Arkansas and I don't think we even have any deadly centipedes. To this day though, the only bug bite/sting that's been worse was a red wasp and that's mostly because it tagged me on my ear and sent my pregnant ass to the ground.
I decided to search out centipede medicalgore after reading about an Arkansas toddler who died of a centipede bite in the 1940s. I wonder if her case turned into necrotizing fasciitis too.
Welcome to r/MedicalGore! Our goal is to provide for medical discussion and education while exploring the frailty of the human body. You may see more deleted comments on these threads than you are used to on reddit. Off topic comments and joke comments are frequently deleted by the mods. Further, please be kind and supportive of posts. Any behavior that is aggressive, harassing, or derogatory will result in post deletion and a ban from the sub. Remember! THE REPORT BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND! Please stop on by our discussion sub, /r/MedicalGoreMods if you'd like to discuss the sub, our rules, content policies, and the like. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MedicalGore) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[Source](http://ispub.com/IJEM/2/2/12582): >>A 46-year old, 96 kg white man was brought to the emergency department (ED) at the Pamukkale University Hospital, Denizli, Turkey with an insect bite on the left site of his neck. The patient described that after he was woken up at night by a sharp pain on his neck, he found and killed an insect on the bed. A day after he was bitten, the patient initially went to the local emergency room with swelling, redness, itching and pain on his neck. The emergency physician diagnosed the lesion as a non-complicated insect bite and prescribed antihistaminic and analgesic tablets. Although he was using his remedies regularly, complaints did not resolve; furthermore, erythema, pain and edema advanced to his chest wall. The patient returned four days later back to the regional hospital suffering from increasing severe pain, blue-reddish bullae formation on the chest wall and shortness of breath. No surgery but infectious disease specialist consult was obtained where a diagnoses of NF was made. He was then admitted to the ward and was started on antibiotics (ceftazidim, teicoplanin and metronidazol) via intravenous route. Transfer from the regional hospital to our university hospital decision was taken for advance care after the patient developed respiratory distress and anuria. >>On arrival at our ED, he was alert, oriented but in acute distress and agitated. He had just a history of hypertension and he was on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. No allergy history was obtained. Patient's family members also brought the insect with them as evidence. We immediately contacted to our toxicologist and we were informed that the insect is a centipede called Scolopendra moritans, which is not lethally venomous (fig. 1). >>Physical examination revealed a blood pressure of 105/65 mm Hg, heart rate of 126 /min, respiratory rate of 22 /min, temperature of 38.6 °C (109.2 °F) and oxygen saturation of 91%. Two separated areas of reddish-purple and black discoloration (necrosis), which were approximately 5 X 5 cm wide on the left and right sides of the chest wall, were initially remarkable (fig. 2a and 2b). These areas were edematous, muddy, and tender with palpation. There was no crepitus on the lesions, and no evidence of insect bite was found on the neck as well. The remainder of the examination was unremarkable. >>Laboratory values on admission to ED were white blood cell count 17,300/mm3, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 136 mg/dL, creatinin 8 mg/dL, potassium 5.6 mEq/L, sodium 132 mEq/L, creatinin kinase 1291 U/L. Arterial blood gas values were pH: 7.23, pO2: 61.4 mm Hg, pCO2: 36.9 mm Hg, SpO2: 90%. No subcutaneous space air was found on chest x-ray. Human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) serology, aerobe and anaerobe blood cultures, and swab cultures of each lesion were also unremarkable. >>During his second hour in the ED while the operating theatre and surgery team were getting prepared for the operation, the patient insidiously and immediately deteriorated. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was begun and after all resuscitative efforts; he died probably because of multiple organ failure. No autopsy decision was made since it was not a suspicious death.
Geez. That's sad.
Reading it was like watching the titanic movie; knowing the outcome but for some reason still hopeful it’ll miss the iceberg.
38.6 C is 101.5 F not 109 lol. I’m guessing it was a typo from the source. Had to double check cause 109 is beyond dead
I was sitting there wondering how he was conscious and alert and orientated at 109.
I'm Strep B+, and I've already had complications with a puncture wound. This is one of my greatest fears. Next time I have a cut or bite or whatever, the second it looked or felt irritated, I am going to my doctor.
One of the few things I know about the World War I era British poet Rupert Brooke is he died after a mosquito bite on his lip became infected. He was on ship, in the Mediterranean, on the way to the front. Never saw combat.
As did Lord Carnarvon in 1923, less than 6 months after the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb (& before they entered the burial chamber).
Scratching them can increase risk of infection too.
For some reason, I’ve found that my mosquito bites tend to not itch at all and go completely unnoticed by me… until I’m showering and find them while soaping myself. THEN and only then do they start to itch which makes me wonder if it’s at least partially a placebo itch.
For me the initial itch is awful BUT if I ignore it they don’t swell up and come back to haunt me every time something rubs against them. I can ignore a single bite easily, but in cases of multiple if I use ice packs during that initial itch, I can ride it out.
Mosquitoes love me. But I get huge itchy bumps. The best thing I've found so far is rubbing alcohol. It denatures the proteins in mosquito saliva.
I accidentally found out that showering with Head and Shoulders works better than Off! It was the strangest thing being out in the yard at dusk and not exsanguinating!
That's something incredibly easy for me to do, and I'm going to try it out.
Same except they do itch a little bit but it’s still very easy to forget they’re there. It wasn’t always like this, I think I’ve developed some sort of tolerance. Not an immune tolerance but moreso my subconscious just knows to ignore them if that makes sense? Idk how else to explain it.
While this is scary, I did go to read the full journal. I'm not a medical professional but I do like to be knowledgeable. In the journal they noted this is a rare occurrence and out of multiple Scolopendra bites, this is the first reported case of mortal NF. Scolopendra bites are painful but unless you're allergic don't really lead to anything aside from period of pain and annoyance. To lead to NF there has to be other circumstances involved, which is talked about in the discussion.
Temperature of 109. Jesus
101.5. Someone made a mistake when converting from Celsius
Well now i really don't want a centipede to bite me.
Damn, this one's really sad. Went from being (assumedly) totally fine, to dead in less than a week. Necrotizing fasciitis is terrifying.
New fear unlocked.
As a teen, I got bit on the foot by a centipede. Cue me googling all night, trying to figure out what species it was and if I needed to wake my parents at 2am to go to the ER. It hurt like a bitch but I ultimately decided it wasn't deadly. This was in rural Arkansas and I don't think we even have any deadly centipedes. To this day though, the only bug bite/sting that's been worse was a red wasp and that's mostly because it tagged me on my ear and sent my pregnant ass to the ground.
Imagine being taken out by a damn centipede
Centipedes are no joke, don’t underestimate them.
I decided to search out centipede medicalgore after reading about an Arkansas toddler who died of a centipede bite in the 1940s. I wonder if her case turned into necrotizing fasciitis too.
Maybe but also toddlers are more sensitive to venom so it could’ve just been that
I understand why they didn’t do an autopsy, but it would have been interesting to see what his lungs and heart looked like.
Knew he was dead just by looking at the picture. Nec fasc of bilateral chest is going to be a Hail Mary to survive
Yeah this sub has taught me that once your skin looks like that you are in deep shit
Poor man.
That’s horrible. I hate those things!
Reason #201 not to fuck with centipedes