Don't wait to worry | Coral injury leads to severe infection

• Guest sustains injury.
• No first aid administered beyond seawater rinse.

• Area becomes red, swollen, and increasingly painful with discharge.
• He applies antiseptic cream from the medical kit but does not report symptoms.

• Guest develops a low-grade fever and difficulty walking.
• Crewmembers notice limping and contact MedAire for guidance.

• On consulting with MedAire and in receipt of photos, MedAire advises intravenous hydration (fluids) and antibiotics from their Global Medical Kit to treat cellulitis and possible necrotising fasciitis.
• Emergency evacuation to mainland hospital is arranged.

• Guest undergoes surgical debridement and receives further IV antibiotics.
• Cultures confirm polymicrobial infection, including Vibrio species and Staphylococcus aureus.

The guest required a 10-day hospital stay for repeated surgical debridement's and vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy. This was followed by several weeks of wound care, physical therapy and plastic surgery input for definitive wound closure in the form of skin grafting.

Fortunately, the guest went on to make a full recovery, but the recovery was prolonged and costly.

It’s not that serious, until it is!

Coral injuries can introduce marine bacteria that rapidly lead to serious infections such as tetanus.

In this situation early intervention could have prevented a hospital stay and prolonged discomfort.