I congratulate Isbister and colleagues1 for performing a first aid randomised controlled trial on box jellyfish stings (a rarity in toxinology). The result is at variance with other studies on this topic (although they mainly involved North American jellyfish stings).2
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- 1. Isbister GK, Palmer DJ, Weir R, Currie BJ. Hot water immersion v icepacks for treating pain of Chironex fleckeri stings: a randomised controlled trial. Med J Aust 2017; 206: 258-261. <MJA full text>
- 2. Wilcox CL, Yanagihara AA. Heated debates: hot-water immersion or ice packs as first aid for cnidarian envenomations. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8: 97.
- 3. Seymour JE. Are we using the correct first aid for jellyfish? Med J Aust 2017; 206: 249-250. <MJA full text>
- 4. Loten C, Stokes B, Worsley D, et al. A randomised controlled trial of hot water (45°C) immersion versus ice packs for pain relief in bluebottle stings. Med J Aust 2006; 184: 329-333. <MJA full text>
- 5. Currie BJ, Jacups SP. Prospective study of Chironex fleckeri and other box jellyfish stings in the “Top End” of Australia’s Northern Territory. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 631-636. <MJA full text>
- 6. Australian Resuscitation Council. Guideline 9.4.5 — Envenomation: jellyfish stings. Melbourne: ARC; 2010. https://resus.org.au/?wpfb_dl.41 (accessed Sept 2017).
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