[TowerTalk] Bee Stings -- Appropriate?

[John Phillipp]

I know that this bee thing has been talked to death here, I have been
following the thread with great interest. But I want to mention a few
things that may save some Towertalkian's life.

I am an allergist, and so know a little about anaphylaxis, the major
life-threatening allergic reaction to insect stings.

Several have mentioned taking an antihistamine like Benadryl or whatever.
Don't bother. Anaphylaxis is a severe, RAPID reaction to the sting. Long
before an oral antihistamine could get absorbed and do some good, you would
have been dead for some time.

Someone mentioned that anaphylaxis causes constriction of the blood
vessels. Wrong. Anaphylaxis causes dilation (opening) of the blood
vessels... this results in a drastic drop in blood pressure and shock. It
does however cause constriction of the bronchial air passages, which
results in wheezing and eventually asphyxia. There are other effects also,
but those are the main ones.

The emergency treatment of anaphylaxis is an injection of epinephrine, also
called adrenalin. Epinephrine constricts the blood vessels and increases
the strength of the heartbeat - this is good for the shock. It also relaxes
the muscles of the bronchial air passages which allows them to open up and
is good for the wheezing and air hunger.

If you have had a major allergic reaction to an insect sting, you should
discuss it with your health care provider and ask for a prescription for an
epinephrine self-injector... two trade names that come to mind are the
"Epi-pen" and the "Ana-kit". You have to carry it with you ALL the time. A
sting can occur at any time, and if you're having an anaphylactic reaction
you have only minutes to inject yourself.

Once you inject the epinephrine, you should feel much better. You have
bought yourself 30 - 40 minutes to get to the nearest ER and get proper
care. The epinephrine will wear off after a while, and the anaphylactic
reaction may come back. There are longer lasting medicines like
antihistamines and steroids that may be used, but their onset of action
takes too long for them to be useful in the immediate treatment. IV fluids
are also useful, but hard to carry up the tower.

What I'm trying to get across is, don't stick a few atihistamine tablets in
your pocket, and think you're protected in case of stings. If you are going
to get anaphylaxis - and, fortunately, most of the people who are stung do
not have an anaphylactic reaction - you need an injection of epinephrine,
and you need it right then!

73, John  N6ZAE

----------
> From: Dale Jones K5MM <ddjones@nas.com>
> To: K4SB <k4sb@mindspring.com>
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Bee Stings --  Appropriate?
> Date: Monday, July 20, 1998 8:58 PM
> 
> 
>  Ed:
>  You are absolutely right.  This "bee" thing has ran it's course now, but
it
>  has certainly been one of the most interesting, beneficial, and helpful
> threads 
>  in a long time.  These things have everything to do with working on
towers,
>  antennas, feedlines, and the like.
> 
>  So....Steve.....if we can only talk about TOWERS, why are we talking
about
>  antennas, comparisons of commercial tribanders, feedlines and the like??
> 
>  Lighten up a bit guys.
> 
>  73
>  Dale  K5MM
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 
> K4SB wrote: 
> >It's TowerTalk, and the subject of running into a bunch of hornets,
> >bees,
> >or wasp while in a relatively helpless situation on a tower is 
> >appropriate.
> >
> >The remedies suggested have in many cases been completely unknown to me.
> >Tomorrow while shopping, you can bet some ammonia, Adolph's, and the
> >strongest antihistamine I can buy will be on the list.
> >
> >Not a thread which I would expect to continue much longer, but the
> >suggestions from others serve to teach. I almost died from that damn
> >bee sting..if I had known then what I have learned, I would have popped
> >a couple of antihistamines before I left for the doctor. I'm lucky he
> >was less than 5 minutes away, that it was not a weekend, and that his
> >diagnosis was rapid and accurate. I would not have lived long enough to
> >reach an emergency room. 
> >
> >Maybe a few now know more effectively how to prevent and treat such.
> >
> >73
> >
> >Ed
> >
> >--
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> >
> >
> 
> 
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