Ripping out Poisonous Spike May Have Been Fatal - NEWS.com.au

Despite conventional wisdom, which says to remove poisonous stingers, when the stinger is eight inches long with a serrated edge, it might be better to leave it in. Steve Irwin's attempt to save himself by pulling out the spike left over from the stingray may have led to more blood loss and ultimately his unconsciousness.

Irwin was caught on tape pulling out the stinger shortly after he was stung by the seven-foot-wide stingray. A stingray's spike is coated with a venom and little is known about it. Irwin may well have died even had he left the spike in, but in general, impaled objects should be left in place and secured to prevent movement. The more an impaled object is moved around (especially with jagged edges), the more it causes damage to surrounding tissues.

Bryan Fry of the Australian Venom Research Unit at Melbourne University was quoted in an article in The Australian saying he believed it would have been better to leave the spike alone. Read the full story by Nico Hines and Peter Lalor.

To learn more about stingrays and impaled objects:

• How to Treat a Stingray Sting
• How to Treat an Impaled Object

Photo ©NOAA/Dept. of Commerce