Jellyfish Envenomation with Skin and Cardiovascular Manifestations and Treatments

Abstract

Jellyfish are smooth-formed animals in the phylum cnidaria, living in around coastal water zones worldwide. Interacting with jellyfish tentacles, even the beached and dying jellyfish, can prompt millions of nematocysts to perforate the skin and infuse the venom through the inverted long spiny tubules, thereby causing toxic manifestations from no effect to extreme pain to death. According to the structure of nematocyst, quantitative toxins are released into body in a short time. Stung by jellyfish possesses a wide spectrum of toxic effects especially on skin and cardiovascular toxicities. However, the mechanism of jellyfish venom is not clear. In this review, we focus on Jellyfish toxins, symptoms and treatment after sting in order to reduce treatment time, improve the survival rate for medical providers and to set a reference for follow-up study.