Dive Review of Seagrape in
Honduras

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Seagrape : "A novel emergency treatment for lionfish envenomation", Jul, 2023, by WILLIAM BARSTOW, OR, US ( 1 report with 1 Helpful vote). Report 12487 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation	N/A	Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
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Comments	Note to editors: This report is intended to be a side note, such as you include in various areas throughout the publication. It is a rough draft, and you are welcome to edit it as you deem necessary. A novel emergency treatment for lionfish envenomation I have been a skier for many years, and have often benefitted from the single-use handwarmers that slip inside your ski mittens, to fight off the cold on blizzard days. I thought that these might be useful in the case of a lionfish envenomation, as a prompt and safe method of applying heat to the area. The toxin is known to be inactivated by heat. Heat is so effective, that I have seen a few people who applied too much heat, and suffered the consequences of a significant skin burn. So, I added a few of the warmers to my "save-a-diver" medical kit. I didn't expect that I would be the first to try it. On a recent trip to Roatan, a dive-mate located a medium-sized lionfish which I pierced with my Hawaiian sling. While trying to cut off the spines, I was hit in the index finger. I knew what to expect, as I had been stung twice before. After finishing the dive, I dried my hands well, and took out the handwarmer. These little pads are activated by exposure to air, and inactivated if allowed to get wet. I applied one to the sting site. The pain was well underway by then. As the pad quickly warmed, it gave immediate improvement in the pain, as I had hoped. As the pain worsened and spread toward my wrist, I added a second warmer pad on the other side of the finger. I kept the area dry, and moved the pads around my hand as needed. The pain was much more tolerable with the heat application. The pain and swelling peaked at about 1 and 1/2 hours. After about 3 hours, with the addition of some acetaminophen and a beer, I no longer needed the pads. The pads can last for 10 hours, depending on the brand purchased. I had no skin problems from the pads, and have never in the past had any problems with their use, except for occasional blackening under the fingernails from the iron oxide grit that can leak out. The next day, before setting off to dive, I showed the results to my divemaster, and he was impressed. I later gave him my remaining warmer pads. I plan to keep a supply of these pads in my medical kit, and hope to never need them again. The packaging can sometimes crack and leak, causing the premature consumption of the chemicals. If they are packed carefully, they should last for a least a year of storage, in my experience using them for skiing. Good luck and happy hunting. William Barstow, MD Redmond, Oregon Note to editor: photo is available of swollen finger/hand.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Lakes and rivers of Central Oregon, USA; Caribbean; Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather		Seas
Water Temp	-°F / -°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	- Ft/ - M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Seagrape in Honduras

Seagrape : "A novel emergency treatment for lionfish envenomation", Jul, 2023,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Seagrape in
Honduras