CATFISH STINGS IN THE UNITED-STATES - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW

One report of a catfish sting is presented and 30 additional reports f rom the English language literature are reviewed. All of the reports i nvolve catfish native to the United States. Freshwater catfish appeare d implicated in 14 of the reports, madtom catfish in seven and saltwat er catfish in ten. Pain and inflammation attributable to mechanical tr auma and envenomation commonly occurred. A portion of the stinging app aratus became embedded in seven cases. Complications included infectio n, nerve and tendon damage, dry gangrene and possible anaphylaxis. One patient with predisposing disease died after developing a severe infe ction. Treatment of catfish stings includes control of pain, removal o f foreign material and the use of antibiotics. Comparative studies on the toxins and normal flora of native catfish could provide more preci se guidelines for treatment of stings.