Salmon POISIONING - Forums Archive

RUSSELL

2010-04-25 20:03:12

Hello all, Sad news to report and a reminder to wear your gloves when handling any fish what so ever.

Around April 5 a friend of mine running a crabber/drag boat out of San Francisco had been dragging and pulled the net and sorted fish. At some point he contacted some fish with out his gloves on and contracted salmon posioning, His hand swelled up and he gave it little thought. The next day he went to the local gear store looking for a home remedy. The guy running the store advised he go to the emergency room and not to take it lightly. My friend being an exlogger and highliner shrugged it off and just went back to work. The next day while mending the net he collapsed and died, leaving 3 teenage boys behind.

So I beg everyone to heed this tragedy and take a minute to look at how we do things and make a point to keep your hands clean and change your gloves regularly. Take care of those little nics and cuts. This guy was very healthy and strong,

John Murray

2010-05-05 17:53:58

Sorry about your friend Russel.I want to add something to your warning that happened to me during the derby days.Luckily this happened at the dock in Sitka while doing gear overhaul.I was overhauling with crappy gloves and a number of cuts and nicks on my hands.I thought I was just overly tired after the opener. On the second day of overhaul I start feeling pretty funky so I hired out the remainder of the gear work.After heading back to my own boat ,stripping down and cleaning up I noticed this red streak about 4 in. long on my arm.I decided to ask a friend what the hell this was.In 15 mins.the streak was from my wrist to shoulder.She said you need to go to ER right now.The ER got me fixed up in short order.

I always wonder what would happen if this took place out on the grounds?Possibly miles away from anything.

This incident changed my whole attitude on self care.I don't wear iffy gloves.At $3.50 a set they are one of the cheapest things a fisherman can buy. I wash my hands and wrist a few times a day.I carry Tea tree oil to kill off any potential problem areas or if fish poisoning is starting on me or the crew.Its simple stuff but a lot better then steaming to town or calling the CG about a possible helo pick-up. Standin by.

kenboe

2010-05-06 03:06:27

Hi Russell, That post is a good reminder to all of us. I talked to Danny yesterday and he told me that the guy running Bobs dragger died. There was no other information but 2+2=4.

I use of lot of new gloves and wash the old ones in a bleach solution and dry them well before they go back in the "service" box. I've had some serious infections from sea urchin spines which has made me very wary of fish spines and salmon blood. Thanks again for the reminder. Tragic loss for Hyde Street crew.

-ken-

ericv

2010-05-07 18:33:44

Really good info here. Take Johns story and the others seriously. We all get festered cuts and blisters, the key is to keep it localized, not systemic (meaning the infection has now left the site and invading the whole body, i.e. "red streaks") This causes Septic shock which can occur quickly and is deadly as hell.

Couple of tricks we teach in our remote medicine courses is tied into keeping body parts and attached gear clean and dry. If a cut or blister occurs, tend to it and don't ignore it. Its one thing to have this occur in town, altogether different off shore as John explained. Be aggressive and attentive, do not allow this to be a helicopter hoist.

Band-Aid makes an Advanced Healing Blister Cushion that works great, SPENCO has a good blister kit, Spryoflex Blister Dressing is good as is the standard Mole-Skin product. Check with your pharmacy store.

For cuts, good old soap and hot water do wonders. Clean, dry dressings are a must. Nexcare by 3M makes a waterproof dressing that allows it to vent out the goo (a good thing). Google Colloidal Dressings, these are dressings that protect the wound but allow it to air and evacuate the crud out of the wound. If these are not available, just good clean dry dressings will work, change twice daily or more, always change if soiled or wet in anyway. This will go a long way in keeping things localized. DO NOT just place another dressing over a blood soaked or soiled dressing as they teach in urban EMS courses, this will only created a huge festering infectious mess. Yard the old one off, clean and re-bandage.

If things get more festered or angry, frequent hot soaks for 20 minutes in plain hot water as warm as you can stand are warranted (don't go overboard and burn yourself). Povidine Iodine can be purchased at the pharmacy store, it is cheap and useful for high risk wounds (bites, punctures, jagged etc). YOU MUST DILUTE this before use. Put some in a zip-lock baggy or container and add clean drinking water to make it look like a weak tea or coffee, if you use it full strength it is toxic to the underlying tissues. This solution can be used as a rinse. Place bandages in this solution, wring out thoroughly and then place and bandage over the wound. Change frequently, wash wound, hot soak if needed and monitor.

To add to these items above is some sort of a large syringe or bulb syringe (check pharmacy) for wound irrigation. It is a must to flush out the contaminants. Clean drinking water is fine or the above diluted "PI" solution. A soft bristle toothbrush to lightly scrub, set of tweezers, magnifying glass, headlamp and small scissors (keep sterile and use to snip off non-viable tissue, other wise it provides a bacteria buffet zone).

We do not teach or recommend suturing (stitches) for a several reasons:

1) Not sterile, no matter how hard you try.

2) Takes an open wound that is designed to naturally drain and evacuate out the pus and goo to a now closed, dirty wound that does not allow this natural process to occur = for sure infection. Let the Doc do this in the right environment.

3) We don't know what we are doing. Nobody wants to look like Frankenstein and if deeper tissues or tendons are involved do you know what to connect where? Nothing worse than trying to pick your nose only to have your thumb, not finger, move.

4) The suture window can be anywhere from a few hours up to 2 weeks. Don't get someone killed over a wound that you feel must be stitched right now and hurry them to town at night or crappy weather (happened here in Sitka). Do the above stuff religiously and things will go well.

5) It's okay to use Steri Strips or wound closure type dressings between cleaning and re-bandaging. Yes it might start to bleed again a bit but remember our bodies are built to flush stuff out.

Enough said, build a kit with the above items and spend time at the galley table or sink on this. No fish or production is worth a serious infection. Remember these things often happen to high use and high function parts of our bodies so while on the mend you got to modify the activity on that affected part, even if it means calling it a trip to give it a chance to heal. And lastly, get these things checked out when you get to town, it's money well spent.

Eric