Beverley
Beekeepers' Association
The
local Beekeeping Association for East Yorkshire
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Anaphylactic
shock (Bee sting shock) - What to do
General Guidelines
If
a person is stung and shows some distress it is important
to follow a few basic guidelines. Bee sting anaphylactic
shock is rare and you may never see it; but if you know
what to do you can react quickly and calmly to help.
a) Move the person well away from the hives
b) Scrape out the sting/s as quickly as possible in order
to stop any further injection of venom.
c) Get the person to sit down and encourage them to remain
calm.
d) If there are signs of difficult breathing or light
headedness or general reaction to the sting
i) Ask the person if this is normal and if they have any
medication provided by their GP (i.e. antihistamine
tablets). If so, let the person medicate himself.
ii) Ring for an ambulance or send someone to ring for an
ambulance (it is always sensible to have a mobile phone
with you when visiting an apiary). If you are alone with
the person put the patient in the positioning described
below and then phone for an ambulance.
iii) Give the address of the house or apiary clearly and
the grid reference if known.
iv) Say "it’s a bee sting reaction." This will help to
prepare the ambulance team.
Care
of the person whilst awaiting an
ambulance
Conscious
person
Loosen
tight clothing at the waist and neck. Sit them on the
ground, leaning against a wall, tree, or the side of a car.
Make the person as comfortable as possible to help
breathing. The person may be short of breath, feeling sick
or feeling faint and may be very frightened. Stay with the
person, talk quietly, and encourage them to breathe in and
out regularly and deeply.
Unconscious
person
If
the person becomes unconscious, loosen tight clothing and
place them in the recovery position on their side.
- Tilt the head well back for a good airway
- Check that they are breathing by placing your cheek near
nose / mouth and watching chest rise.
- Check for circulation by looking at colour of face
(pink), temperature of face (warm, dry or sweating), and
reaction of pupils to light.
- If there is another person, send them to flag down the
ambulance. Do not try to give the patient any food or
drink.
If the person's heart stops or the breathing stops,
resuscitation should be provided by a trained person.
Remember anaphylactic shock is very rare, but if it does
happen, this quick and calm procedure is essential.
Practical
suggestions
Post
these instructions in your apiary shed in a prominent
place. Include the address, post code of the apiary, grid
reference and telephone number, if there is one. Also
provide directions to the nearest phone.
Write out this information about the apiary site on a card
and put it in a 'plastic pocket' beside the instruction
sheet. The telephoner can grab this card and take it to the
nearest phone to inform the ambulance service.
If possible, take a mobile phone to the apiary whenever
working with bees so that help can be called in case of an
emergency.