eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Environmental

Cnidaria Envenomation: Differential Diagnoses & Workup

Author: G Patrick Daubert, MD, Assistant Professor, Assistant Medical Director, Sacramento Division, California Poison Control System; Director of Clinical and Medical Toxicology Education, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Aug 18, 2008

Differential Diagnoses

Anaphylaxis
Lionfish and Stonefish
Appendicitis, Acute
Octopus Envenomations
Bites, Animal
Snake Envenomations, Sea
Decompression Sickness
Stingray Envenomations
Echinoderm Envenomations

Workup

Laboratory Studies

  • No specific laboratory studies exist for Cnidaria envenomations. Obtain the following for severe envenomations:
    • Complete blood cell count
    • Serum glucose level
    • Arterial blood gases analysis
    • Electrolyte levels
    • Blood urea nitrogen level
    • Creatinine level
    • Urinalysis
    • Creatinine phosphokinase level
  • Nematocysts may be identified by microscope from scalpel-blade scrapings of the sting site or sticky-tape sampling. These techniques generally demonstrated good specificity, and both appear to be equal in terms of nematocyst retrieval. However, Carukia barnesi nematocysts have traditionally been difficult to harvest from the sting site.

More on Cnidaria Envenomation

Overview: Cnidaria Envenomation
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Cnidaria Envenomation
Treatment & Medication: Cnidaria Envenomation
Follow-up: Cnidaria Envenomation
Multimedia: Cnidaria Envenomation
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

jellyfish envenomation, cnidaria envenomation, jellyfish sting, box jellyfish, aquatic invertebrates, Hydrozoa, Portuguese man-of-war, fire coral, Scyphozoa, true jellyfish, Cubozoa, Anthozoa, sea anemone, coelenterate envenomation,  

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

G Patrick Daubert, MD, Assistant Professor, Assistant Medical Director, Sacramento Division, California Poison Control System; Director of Clinical and Medical Toxicology Education, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center
G Patrick Daubert, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Medical Toxicology, American Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Dana A Stearns, MD, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Education, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dana A Stearns, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and American College of Emergency Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

A Antoine Kazzi, MD, Chair and Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
A Antoine Kazzi, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM, Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School; Medical Director, WeCare Med,Inc
Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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