Originally Posted by AngelMan
Having been personally nailed by two spines of a large Volitan Lion, I can tell you it is not a pain you want to ever experience.
I was cleaning a customer's tank and pulling corals to bleach them. I got sidetracked and looked to the side and I accidentally banged my finger into him as he innocently swam by.
Best I can describe is it felt as if though my finger had been placed on a board and struck full force with a hammer.
Two to three months later, I was still feeling some throbbing effects on my finger.
Scanned right out of a medical journal
Contact with ornate lionfish causes mild poisoning. Contact with camouflaged scorpionfish causes moderate-to-severe poisoning. The motionless stonefish, when contacted, causes severe –to –life-threatening poisoning.
Symptoms
Intense throbbing pain peaks in 1-2 hours and lasts 12 hours.
Redness, bruising, swelling, numbness, tingling, and tissue shedding at the wound site may occur.
Severe reactions include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, tremors, abnormal heart rhythms, weakness, shortness of breath, seizures, decreased blood pressure, fainting, and paralysis. Death may occur.
Treatment
Remove the exposed person from the water to prevent drowning.
Immerse the wound for 30-90 minutes in water as hot as the poisoned person can tolerate. Repeat as necessary to control pain.
Use tweezers to remove any spines in the wound.
Scrub the wound with soap and water. Then flush the affected area with fresh water.
Do not apply tape to close the wound.
When to Seek Medical Care
All cases of scorpionfish, lionfish, and stonefish poisoning require medical attention to ensure no foreign material remains in the wound. Antivenom is given, especially for stonefish poisoning.
