What should I do after a scorpion sting in Lake Havasu?

Wash the site, apply a wrapped cold pack twenty minutes on and twenty off, keep the limb still at heart level, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen. Note the time and call the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center on 1-800-222-1222, which is free and open 24 hours.

When is a scorpion sting an emergency?

Roving eye movements, slurred speech, trouble swallowing, uncontrolled muscle jerking, breathing difficulty, or a young child who cannot be consoled. Children under six are at highest risk. In remote parts of Mohave County, call the poison centre early rather than late because the drive to an emergency department is long.

Stung in Havasu

Trouble breathing, cannot swallow, or a small child in distress — call 911. Otherwise the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center is free, staffed by specialists and open 24 hours: 1-800-222-1222. They handle Arizona scorpion stings every day and will tell you plainly whether you need to be seen.

First ten minutes

Wash with soap and water.
Cool pack wrapped in cloth, twenty minutes on, twenty off.
Keep the limb still and around heart level.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen at normal doses.
Note the time. If things develop, that is the first thing you will be asked.

Do not cut it, suck it, apply a tourniquet, or put ice directly on skin.

What a normal sting does

Sharp pain far out of proportion to the mark, which is often invisible. Numbness and tingling spreading a few inches. A useful sign: tapping the site lightly produces a jolt of pain much worse than expected. It peaks within a few hours and fades over one to two days. Most healthy adults need nothing beyond a cold pack.

Go in for any of these

Roving, uncontrolled eye movements
Slurred speech, drooling, trouble swallowing, a thick-feeling tongue
Muscle jerking the person cannot stop
Difficulty breathing or a whistling sound
A young child who cannot be consoled
Spreading hives, facial swelling, faintness — that is allergy, not venom

Children under about six are the real concern. The same dose of venom goes much further in a small body. Arizona hospitals stock the antivenom, which was developed in this state and usually settles severe cases within the hour.

What is different about Havasu

Distance matters here in a way it does not in a city. Much of Mohave County is a long drive from an emergency department, and if you are at a remote cove, up a wash, or out at Standard Wash or the Parker Strip, the clock starts before you reach the road. Call the poison centre early rather than late — they will tell you whether to set off.

On the water it is worse. A sting on a boat means a return trip before any of the usual options exist. If you are carrying children, know where the nearest launch is before you need it.

Rentals and unfamiliar houses. Most Havasu stings happen the same three ways: bare feet on a floor at night, a hand into a shoe left on the patio, and rolling onto one in bed. Visitors in a short-term rental do none of the habits locals do — shaking out shoes and bedding — which is why rental stings are over-represented. If you manage a rental, this is worth reading.

Deal with the source, not just the stingFree inspection · same or next day

Afterwards

A sting indoors means a population with a route into your living space. That is worth acting on rather than hoping. Start with the exclusion list, and if you are finding them regularly, a night UV survey will show how bad it actually is.

General information, not medical advice. When in doubt call the poison centre — it is free and it is what they are for.