eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Environmental

Spider Envenomation, Tarantula: Follow-up

Author: Scott D Fell, DO, FAAEM, Medical Director, Emergency Care Center, Venice Regional Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Christina L Kukula, DO, Fast Track, Venice Regional Medical Center; Medical Director, Urgent Care Center at The Oaks
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: May 7, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • Except for cases of significant anaphylaxis, inpatient care is not indicated.

Further Outpatient Care

  • Patients with local dermatitis caused by urticating hairs should be discharged from the ED with a course of oral corticosteroids (eg, prednisone) and an antihistamine such as cetirizine (Zyrtec) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
  • Cetirizine may be preferred because of its lower incidence of anticholinergic adverse effects and the convenience of once-a-day dosing. The drawback of cetirizine is its higher cost.
  • A prescription for oral analgesics also should be provided.
  • Local skin wounds from tarantula bites or urticating hairs should be re-examined in 48 hours; patients should be educated regarding the signs and symptoms of infection.
  • Patients with ocular involvement should be seen by an ophthalmologist as soon as possible (<24 h).

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Tarantula bites can be avoided almost completely by not attempting to handle or harass these arachnids. Wearing gloves when gardening and being cautious about hand placement can prevent accidental bites.

Complications

  • Ophthalmia nodosa and panuveitis can complicate ocular exposure to tarantula hairs.

Prognosis

  • Experience with ocular injuries is somewhat limited, and more information is necessary for accurate conclusions regarding long-term prognosis.
  • Recovery from eye injuries may be prompt but has been delayed up to 72 months.
  • No cases of infection from tarantula bites or skin exposure to urticarial hairs have been reported; therefore, prophylactic antibiotics are not recommended.

Patient Education

  • As tarantulas become increasingly popular as pets, owners need to be aware of the potential injuries that can occur.
  • Discourage frequent and routine handling of tarantulas. Handlers should wear gloves, avoid tarantula contact with their face and eyes, and wash their hands after working with tarantulas.
  • For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Bites and Stings Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles, Black Widow Spider Bite and Brown Recluse Spider Bite.
 


More on Spider Envenomation, Tarantula

Overview: Spider Envenomation, Tarantula
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Spider Envenomation, Tarantula
Treatment & Medication: Spider Envenomation, Tarantula
Follow-up: Spider Envenomation, Tarantula
Multimedia: Spider Envenomation, Tarantula
References
[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

References

  1. Morens DM. Mass fainting at medieval rock concerts. N Engl J Med. Nov 16 1995;333(20):1361. [Medline].

  2. Belyea DA, Tuman DC, Ward TP, Babonis TR. The red eye revisited: ophthalmia nodosa due to tarantula hairs. South Med J. Jun 1998;91(6):565-7. [Medline].

  3. Blaikie AJ, Ellis J, Sanders R, MacEwen CJ. Eye disease associated with handling pet tarantulas: three case reports. BMJ. May 24 1997;314(7093):1524-5. [Medline].

  4. Sandboe FD. Spider keratouveitis. A Case Report. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica. 2001;79(5):531-2. [Medline].

  5. Shrum KR, Robertson DM, Baratz KH, et al. Keratitis and retinitis secondary to tarantula hair. Arch Ophthalmol. Aug 1999;117(8):1096-7. [Medline].

  6. Waggoner TL, Nishimoto JH, Eng J. Eye injury from tarantula. J Am Optom Assoc. Mar 1997;68(3):188-90. [Medline].

  7. Watts P, Mcpherson R, Hawksworth NR. Tarantula keratouveitis. Cornea. May 2000;19(3):393-4. [Medline].

  8. Allen C. Arachnid envenomations. Emerg Med Clin North Am. May 1992;10(2):269-98. [Medline].

  9. American Tarantula Society. American Tarantula Society Web site. [Full Text].

  10. Auerbach PS, ed. Wilderness Medicine: Management of Wilderness and Environmental Emergencies. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book; 1995:769-86.

  11. Diekema DS, Reuter DG. Environmental Emergencies: Arthropod Bites and Stings. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine. 2001;2.

  12. Donaldson LJ, Cavanagh J, Rankin J. The dancing plague: a public health conundrum. Public Health. Jul 1997;111(4):201-4. [Medline].

  13. Kelley TD 3rd, Wasserman G. The dangers of pet tarantulas: experience of the Marseilles Poison Centre. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1998;36(1-2):55-6. [Medline].

  14. National Geographic Society. National Geographic Web site. [Full Text].

  15. Saucier JR. Arachnid envenomation. Emerg Med Clin North Am. May 2004;22(2):405-22. [Medline].

  16. Thorpe SJ, Salkovskis PM. Selective attention to real phobic and safety stimuli. Behav Res Ther. May 1998;36(5):471-81. [Medline].

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Further Reading

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Keywords

tarantula, tarantula envenomation, spider bite, eye injury, hairy spider, poisonous spider, Theraphosidae, Orthognatha, Theraphosa blondi, Aphonopelma, Grammastola, arachnophobia, spider envenomation, Chilean rose tarantula, tarantula hairs

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Scott D Fell, DO, FAAEM, Medical Director, Emergency Care Center, Venice Regional Medical Center
Scott D Fell, DO, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Christina L Kukula, DO, Fast Track, Venice Regional Medical Center; Medical Director, Urgent Care Center at The Oaks
Christina L Kukula, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Robert L Norris, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery; Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center
Robert L Norris, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, California Medical Association, International Society of Toxinology, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD, Regional Director of Pharmacy, Sacred Heart & St. Joseph's Hospitals
John T VanDeVoort, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Matthew M Rice, MD, JD, FACEP, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Northwest Emergency Physicians; Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Washington at Seattle
Matthew M Rice, MD, JD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, National Association of EMS Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Washington State Medical Association
Disclosure: Team Health  Salary Employment

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

Jonathan Adler, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Jonathan Adler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: eMedicine.com, Inc. Consulting fee Consulting

 
 
HONcode

We subscribe to the
HONcode principles of the
Health On the Net Foundation

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright© 1994- by Medscape.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this Website is not influenced by sponsors. The site is designed primarily for use by qualified physicians and other medical professionals. The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.