Funnel-web spider

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Arthropods, basic features

Arachnids, basic features

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Funnel-web spider

Home Treatment:

Call the Poison Control center for guidance. The standard procedure is to apply a firm pressure bandage over the bite, and immobilize the affected limb to prevent the venom from spreading, if possible.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the identification of the insect if possible
the time when the bite occurred

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses.

If possible, bring the insect to the emergency room for identification.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Treat the symptoms
Administer anti-venom

Expectations (prognosis):

About 90% of people bitten by funnel-web spiders experience only pain and other minor symptoms, and heal well. The other 10%, however, experience enough transfer of venom to cause life-threatening emergency. These bites can be life-threatening, especially in children, and must be treated quickly with anit-venom by an experienced doctor.

Review Date: 2/13/2006
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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