A survey of jellyfish sting knowledge among Thai divers in Thailand
, 3
Abstract
Background: In tropical regions, jellyfish envenomation is a persistent hazard for people who spend time in the sea. Jellyfish stings can be dangerous, and among the people who face the greatest risk are scuba divers. This study therefore sought to determine the level of knowledge divers in Thailand have about the threat of jellyfish envenomation.
Materials and methods: In April 2018, a total of 238 divers responded to a questionnaire, thereby providing data for further statistical analysis.
Results: The findings revealed that 31.91% of the study participants cited jellyfish stings as their most frequently encountered injury, with 68.09% having personal experience of the problem, or having seen others injured by jellyfish. However, 34.03% of the sample respondents believed their own level of knowledge to be “low” or “none”. The mean score was 71%, which can be considered satisfactory, but the scores for items concerning the recognition of signs of envenomation and items about first aid responses (52.74% and 59.13%, respectively) were not acceptable.
Conclusions: Divers frequently experience jellyfish stings, and diving personnel were highly rated for their knowledge in this area. However, very few were fully confident in their first aid capabilities, and therefore it can be argued that it is necessary to improve the level of medical education and to provide training to eliminate this weakness.
Keywords: diversjellyfish stingknowledgemedical education
References
- Tibballs J. Australian venomous jellyfish, envenomation syndromes, toxins and therapy. Toxicon. 2006; 48(7): 830–859.
- Di Costanzo L, Balato N, Zagaria O, et al. Successful management of a delayed and persistent cutaneous reaction to jellyfish with pimecrolimus. J Dermatolog Treat. 2009; 20(3): 179–180.
- Haddad Junior V, Silveira FL, Migotto AE. Skin lesions in envenoming by cnidarians (Portuguese man-of-war and jellyfish): etiology and severity of accidents on the Brazilian coast. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2010; 52(1): 47–50.
- Winter KL, Fernando R, Ramasamy S, et al. The in vitro vascular effects of two chirodropid (Chironex fleckeri and Chiropsella bronzie) venoms. Toxicol Lett. 2007; 168(1): 13–20.
- Winkel KD, Hawdon GM, Ashby K, et al. Eye injury after jellyfish sting in temperate Australia. Wilderness Environ Med. 2002; 13(3): 203–205.
- Nagai H, Takuwa K, Nakao M, et al. Isolation and characterization of a novel protein toxin from the Hawaiian box jellyfish (sea wasp) Carybdea alata. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2000; 275(2): 589–594.
- McIver LJ, Tjhung IG, Parish ST, et al. Irukandji sydrome in the Torres Strait: a series of 8 cases. Wilderness Environ Med. 2011; 22(4): 338–342.
- Wang B, Zhang L, Zheng J, et al. Multiple organ dysfunction: A delayed envenomation syndrome caused by tentacle extract from the jellyfish Cyanea capillata. Toxicon. 2013; 61: 54–61.
- Lippmann JM, Fenner PJ, Winkel K, et al. Fatal and severe box jellyfish stings, including Irukandji stings, in Malaysia, 2000-2010. J Travel Med. 2011; 18(4): 275–281.
- Boulware DR. A randomized, controlled field trial for the prevention of jellyfish stings with a topical sting inhibitor. J Travel Med. 2006; 13(3): 166–171.
- De Donno A, Idolo A, Bagordo F, et al. Impact of stinging jellyfish proliferations along south Italian coasts: human health hazards, treatment and social costs. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014; 11(3): 2488–2503.
- Xian W, Kang B, Liu R. Jellyfish blooms in the Yangtze Estuary. Science. 2005; 307(5706): 41.
- Richardson AJ, Bakun A, Hays GC, et al. The jellyfish joyride: causes, consequences and management responses to a more gelatinous future. Trends Ecol Evol. 2009; 24(6): 312–322.
- Rastogi A, Biswas S, Sarkar A, et al. Anticoagulant activity of Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) tentacle extract. Toxicon. 2012; 60(5): 719–723.
- Li Li, McGee RG, Isbister G, et al. Interventions for the symptoms and signs resulting from jellyfish stings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013(12): CD009688.
- Dong Z, Liu D, Keesing JK. Jellyfish blooms in China: Dominant species, causes and consequences. Mar Pollut Bull. 2010; 60(7): 954–963.
- Thaikruea L, Siriariyaporn P. The magnitude of severe box jellyfish cases on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand. BMC Res Notes. 2016; 9: 108.
- Kan T, Gui Li, Shi W, et al. A survey of jellyfish sting knowledge among naval personnel in Northeast China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016; 13(7).
- Li R, Yu H, Yue Y, et al. In depth analysis of the in vivo toxicity of venom from the jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris. Toxicon. 2014; 92: 60–65.
- Queiroz Md, Caldas JN. Comparative dermatology: skin lesion produced by attack of jellyfishes (Physalia physalis). An Bras Dermatol. 2011; 86(3): 611–612.
- Lakkis NA, Maalouf GJ, Mahmassani DM. Jellyfish stings: a practical approach. Wilderness Environ Med. 2015; 26(3): 422–429.
