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First Aid & Emergencies

Call 911 NOW if you are having:

  • Chest Pain
  • Difficulty Breathing
  • Severe Bleeding
  • Sudden Weakness or Numbness
  • A Medical Emergency
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Jellyfish Sting Treatment

Call 911 if:

  • The person displays signs of a severe allergic reaction.
  • The sting is from a box jellyfish.
  • The sting covers more than half an arm or leg.

For more information about severe allergic reaction, see Anaphylaxis .

1. Get the Person Out of the Water

2. Stop Stinging

For a jellyfish sting in non-tropical waters:

  • Wash the area with seawater to deactivate stinging cells.

For a sting in tropical waters -- especially from box jellyfish:

  • Rinse immediately with vinegar. Do not use fresh or tap water, which can reactivate stinging cells.
  • Continue until you can get medical help.

 

3. Decontaminate and Remove Tentacles

For stings not from a box jellyfish:

  • Apply vinegar for 30 minutes.
  • If vinegar is not available, apply shaving cream, soap lather, or paste of sand or mud and seawater.
  • Scrape with razor or credit card to remove stinging cells.
  • Reapply vinegar.

 

4. Treat Discomfort

  • Use mild hydrocortisone cream or oral antihistamine to relieve itching and swelling.

 

5. Follow Up

For less severe sting:

  • Use ice packs or over-the-counter pain relievers for welts.
  • Clean open sores 3 times a day and apply antibiotic ointment. Bandage if needed.

For a severe reaction:

  • The person may be hospitalized for several days.
  • Anti-venom will be administered for box jellyfish stings.

 

WebMD Medical Reference

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Reviewed by Andrew Seibert, MD on October 14, 2011
© 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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