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Sea Urchin spikes embedded in foot

(13 Posts)
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Evangeline Fri 08-Apr-22 21:03:49

My daughter stood on a sea urchin whilst on holiday in Maldives. She lives in Dubai so I’m trying to support and reassure her from a distance. She is now on antibiotics but is terrified that the remnants of the spikes will cause permanent damage . There is all sorts of contradictory advice on -line.
Has anyone experienced this, what did you do and should she be worried. I have urged her to seek further advice at the nearest hospital tomorrow morning.
Thank you

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Farmor15 Fri 08-Apr-22 21:08:29

Son stood on sea urchin in Italy, painful for a while but no lasting effect.

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Jaxjacky Fri 08-Apr-22 21:20:54

Happened to me in Greece about 17 years ago, my husbands
removed what he could with tweezers, antibiotic cream and it was fine.

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Evangeline Fri 08-Apr-22 21:23:35

Thank you for that reassurance

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Minerva Fri 08-Apr-22 21:28:36

Same experience in Minorca a long time ago. Boyfriend did his best with tweezers and eventually, like with a splinter, the body expels the remains.

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Yammy Fri 08-Apr-22 22:36:47

There was a very funny episode of "Friends"' a number of years ago, anyone remember? The anti dote at the time was said to be urine. Doubt if that is a true one. I have heard of the tweezers and anti biotics.

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BlueBelle Fri 08-Apr-22 22:43:10

They say urine for jelly fish stings too we sometimes get weaver fish here and they are baaaaad

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Callistemon21 Fri 08-Apr-22 23:28:48

Yes, I did many years ago swimming in the Balkans.
A sadistic nurse at the local hospital dug them out.

Seawater helped but afterwards the tour rep said it often happened to her as a child and putting a large dressing on with antiseptic ointment would draw it out (after they'd been dug
out painfully!).

The antidote at the time was said to be urine
Yes, urine for jellyfish stings as Bluebelle says.
Or vinegar

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Callistemon21 Fri 08-Apr-22 23:30:31

I did have a lot of helping hands on the yacht pulling most of them out immediately but some were more stubborn.

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Esspee Fri 08-Apr-22 23:53:44

Urine for jellyfish stings is a definite no-no, I believe hot salt water (not fresh) is used but that is not what the OP was asking about.
Sea urchin spines should be pulled out with tweezers, finer spines can be scraped out with a knife or bank card then the foot should be soaked in warm water or vinegar which dissolves the spine.

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Pepper59 Sat 09-Apr-22 01:24:48

Dear me that sounds painful. Sorry no advice to offer, but sorry for people this has happened to. Not nice.

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Oopsadaisy1 Sat 09-Apr-22 08:59:02

I used tweezers when MrOops trod on a sea urchin over 40 years ago, he still remembers the pain, plenty of Germolene afterwards, he was fine.

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Evangeline Tue 12-Apr-22 14:10:44

My daughter had two very large spikes removed under local anaesthetic today. The doctor said he had never seen ones so large embedded in someone’s foot!
She is on antibiotics and painkillers but grateful she didn’t have to undergo surgery and a general anaesthetic.
Immediate expert medical attention is my advice to anyone who experiences this!
Many thanks

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