What Matters

Insect Stings Are Driving Up Call Volumes

No one wants to get stung by one—a wasp sting hurts(Bild: AP/JOERG SARBACH)

They’re very active this year—the wasps. And because they often get in people’s way, there are more stings. But it’s not just wasp stings that are driving up the Red Cross’s call-out numbers in Upper Austria—there are other pests as well. A paramedic explains what to watch out for.

The Red Cross Upper Austria’s call-out statistics show a significant increase this year in insect stings and allergic reactions. So far, 90 call-outs due to insect stings have been recorded—compared to just 26 through July of last year.

Allergy-related calls have doubled
The number of anaphylactic shock cases also skyrocketed from 45 to 180 calls. The only category to see a slight decline was anaphylactic shock: from 480 to 427 cases. General allergy-related calls, on the other hand, have more than doubled, rising from 509 to 1,034.

From Minor Incidents to Life-Threatening Situations
The “Krone” spoke with Michael Weberbauer, who works for the Upper Austrian Red Cross and has been serving as a paramedic for 20 years. “The range of calls related to insect bites is enormous. Sometimes people call us even if they have just a mosquito bite or a tick. This is also because many people are afraid of the Asian tiger mosquito, which is said to be present here,” he says. Some people read reports and believe the tiger mosquito is extremely dangerous and that it infects them. At the same time, however, there are patients who develop severe swelling of the upper respiratory tract after insect bites and can barely speak—“we see it all.”

Swelling in the throat area is particularly dangerous
The location of the bite is also crucial. “In the case of anaphylactic shock, a bite in the throat area is problematic because of the swelling,” explains Weberbauer. Applying cold is almost always helpful as a first step. In addition, paramedics have a small “arsenal” of medications at their disposal. “Our most powerful weapon is the EpiPen. We can also use it to administer cortisone or H1 blockers—that is, an antihistamine—intravenously.”

Look Before You Eat
His tip for preventing stings: “Look before you put anything to eat in your mouth or drink from a glass in the summer. It’s also best to cover drinking glasses.”