Brown recluse spider

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Arthropods, basic features

Arachnids, basic features

Brown recluse spider bite on the hand

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Brown recluse spider

Home Treatment:

Apply a cold pack, then seek immediate medical attention.

Before Calling Emergency:

Before calling emergency, determine the following:

Patient's age, weight, and condition
Area bitten
Time bitten
Identity of the spider, if possible.

The patient should be taken to the emergency room for treatment. The bite may not appear to be very severe and may take some time to progress to a more severe state. However, treatment is important to minimize complications. If possible, bring the spider to the emergency room for identification.

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

You will be instructed on what to do immediately following the bite. The patient should be taken to the emergency room. See poison control centers for the national telephone number.

Expectations (prognosis):

Fatalities from brown recluse spider bites are more common in children. With proper medical attention, survival past 48 hours usually indicates that recovery will follow. The ulceration may take up to 6 weeks to heal, with proper care.

Review Date: 5/10/2005
Reviewed By: William D. Whetstone, M.D., Division of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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