What bit my dad? Brown recluse?

a reply to: ChaosComplex

Don't be too harsh on your Dad for not questioning the doctor. Much is around how a doctor conveys themselves to clients. Such as explaining presenting conditions, available treatments and options, obtaining client consent for proposed treatments and working in partnership with the client. I am sure your Dad will then have the ability to say to the doctor "do I really need this, or should we see which direction nature take its course? and re-evaluate the situation?" With your Dads age group if the above mentioned has not occurred then he will remain silent and accept in statu quo.

Unfortunately there is still unnecessary prescribing and overuse of antibiotics that has led to a surge in superbugs, bacteria that are increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Unfortunately doctors focus on the potential risk of infection and not the judicious use of antibiotics is not valued. In other words, doctors tend to look at the individual and not the population level crisis of antibiotic resistance. Some doctors may be concerned with the fear of blame, responsibility and litigation. No harm to swab the wound and ask the client to return the next day for review.

The picture you presented in your OP shows healthy wound healing, I am aware that a wound can go south in less than 24 hours. Now that your Dad has been prescribed an antibiotic, make sure he finishes the course.

I understand your concern about your Dad, especially with your work colleagues wife being admitted into hospital from complications resulting from a brown recluse spider. Brown recluse spider bites are hemotoxic, meaning that the venom can cause destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis) causing thrombocytopenia, DIC etc. Such is rare, however the potential risk remains for anyone bitten. Sphingomyelinase D (venom from the brown recluse) and is known to be cytotoxic to endothelial cells and red blood cells. Damage to skin: see below...

Day 5: 2 inch lesion with swelling, fever. Hospitalized, treated surgical debridement, IV antibiotics and pain relief
Source

a reply to: ChaosComplex
I think its possible to be both a bite and a staph infection, but the fact that it was three dots so close (within an inch) that didnt connect and become a bigger spot led me to the staph conclusion.

I don't believe that BR stop at the Florida border either.

I was bit last year while working in my flower gardens by wolf spiders. I woke up the next day itching and the spots were red with black in the middle, almost like someone melted rubber on my skin. The marks in your picture resemble mine a lot. I ended up locating some of the spiders and looking them up and what their bites look like. That's how I found out.

I work in the nursing field and I see MRSA/staph infections all the time and those don't look like staph. IMO

Usually doc's have to test the area to know if it's staph.

Hope your father is doing good and those go away quickly.

a reply to: Arduous

I think he said they've already been there for quite a while with no change. It looks alot like staph i've seen (not disagreeing for the sake of it, i rarely disagree with brunettes), but also the cluster like that is more indicative of staph than a bite. Plus he would have felt a single bite and likely reacted before he got three. I think they are two close together for a brown recluse bite they would have spread out and been one spot rather than three distinguishable places in under an inch.

a reply to: GogoVicMorrow

It could be staph, i'm not a professional so I wouldn't know. Just going on what I have seen and experienced
But, I would like to say that when I was bit by a spider I didn't feel a thing until the next day when I woke up and was itching like crazy. Probably an allergic reaction, knowing me.
Every persons body reacts to things differently. Either way, hopefully it gets better fast.

That is Definitely not a Brown Recluse Bite. I'm a military combat medic and Idk how many times my dumb ass joes have gotten bit by brown recluses. Its pretty annoying. Anyways although possible it could be a wolf spider, box spider, hell even a pirate spider, It is most likely, as the doctor who went through 4 years of Med school, 3 years of residency,and probably having a couple years of experience said, a staph infection. Its not Lyme disease, as anyone who has truly seen Lyme disease can attest to the bulls eye mark that would have left. With the way the 3 marks are lined up, I am guessing he caught himself on something. Also, the reddening around the wound can in fact be a sign of infection of the site is warm to the touch. I would bet my medical license (as low as it may be right now) that it is not a brown recluse bite. Also, just for FYI, if you are bit by a brown recluse there is a anti venom that can be administered if administrated within the first 24 hours. Just FYI.

I have these same marks on my calf. Just felt burning and cant figure out how they got there. Cant find anything that tells me what it is. If you figure it out please update. Cant figure out how to add my pic but it is identical to yours. Weird.

a reply to: GogoVicMorrow

I was bitten 3 times once. A house I moved into had them and we as roommates did not know. One other roommate and my girlfriend were bit. She still has a 'hole' on her thigh were it bit her.

It is like anything though and depending on the person the venom can stay in a persons body for a long time. This was explained to me. For the next 3 years I would get what seemed like a boil but it would eat away at my skin. It was so odd.

I have not had anything like that since and have had some pretty bad cuts or injuries since then.

I will never forget the hurt and pressure of release when they were cut out. In a matter of 2 days it went from a small mark to a huge area of puss. Huge. A dime size mark on my inner left thigh, my left ball and my left elbow. Bastard went right up the left side. My girlfriend had her leg over mine and was hit.

It is a very dangerous bite if you actually get it.

Good Luck...

Doesnt look like a brown recluse and I doubt he would have been able to stand 3 of them they are really painful. Its not something your not going to notice even asleep it will wake you up. If Ihad to guess id say they arent bites but an infection he wll be needing atibiotics either way. But the doctor can easily test for it.