Points of bees and wasps: remedies to protect children and how to recognize a serious allergic reaction

In 2024 they were almost 500 accesses to the emergency room of the Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome for insect stings.
An unpleasant experience for any child, who for the subjects allergic to the poison it can also have consequences very serious.

Here are the advice of the experts of the Roman pediatric hospital to protect the little ones.

How to behave outdoors

With the arrival of the summer, the problem of stings returns. Summer and autumn are in fact the periods in which the risk of being points from an insect with the stinger – Bees, bombs, hornets and waspsincluding oriental ones, increasingly widespread in Italy – is higher.

In the last three years, they have been 1,261 children who turned to the emergency room following a sting of hymenoptera.
«The stings of bees, wasps and hornets, can trigger allergic reactionssometimes serious »explains Professor Alessandro Giovanni FiocchiHead of the Allergology Operating Unit of the Child Jesus.

Preventing this type of accident is however possible, adopting some simple tricks when spending time with children outdoors. Starting with theclothing: For walks in nature it is recommended to make children wear long trousers and shirts with long sleeves, especially in the early hours of the morning or sunset. And to protect the parts of the body that are not covered by the fabric, you can use a insect repellent: the most effective contain 50% of dietiltoluamide.

When walking in the meadows they would be from also avoid clothes with very bright colors or brilliant, as they can attract bees.
For the same reason, it would be better Do not use perfumes or soaps and shampoo with an intense fragrance which can recall insects.
If the child helps us while we dedicate ourselves to gardening, in addition to the precautions related to clothing, it would be appropriate to make him wear gloves.

When organizing an outdoor picnic, you have to remember Keep food and drinks covered, especially if sweet. And in any case before drinking always check glasses and containers of the drinks.
Finally, when traveling, it is better to keep The car windows closed.

These precautions, useful for everyone, become fundamental for people, children or adults, who are allergic to the hut of hymenoptera.

What to do in the event of a sting

But how to intervene if, despite the precautions, the child was unfortunately out of a bee, a vespa or a hornet?
The first step immediately is that of Remove the sting (if visible) Using nails or tweezers, speed is important because the poison is released in twenty seconds subsequent to the puncture.
If possible, it is useful identify the insect Which has the child, this is in fact a fundamental information in the case of important allergic reactions.
To reduce the annoyance, it is useful to apply something of Freddo: ice, cold compresses, or if you are outdoors, running water (for example, pouring the cold water of a bottle or fountain on the part).

If you notice a particularly intense reactionit is better to contact the family pediatrician or (if the pediatrician is not accessible or the family is on vacation) contact the Emergency room of the nearest hospital.
Following this episode, if the child presented a too extensive, serious and lasting reaction, the suggestion is to plan a specialist visit from the allergologist to deepen the situation.

Encouraging information: children who are allergic to other substances (pollen or food), in case of puncture they do not have a greater riskcompared to non -allergic children, to develop an allergy to the poison of insects.

Recognize an allergic reaction

The stings of hymenoptera trigger Allergic reactions in about 2 out of 100 people.
Luckily, Among the children the phenomenon is much less frequent than in adultshowever, precisely because of the insect poison, Every year in Italy they die from 5 to 20 people (between adults and children). It is therefore important to be able to distinguish A normal reaction from an allergic reaction.

Several insects with stinger, when they sting, inject harmful substances that cause Burn, redness, pain and itching. These are completely reactions normal if located in the puncture headquarters and if limited in extension, gravity and duration.

Instead of poison allergy of insects when the Local reaction is too extensive and redness and itching affect a large part of an arm or leg.
The situation that must arouse the Maximum alarm However, it is the one in which the allergic reaction occurs far from the point In which the puncture took place: for example, if the child was point on one hand and presents urticaria on the trunk. In this case, the suggestion is to turn to the emergency room immediately.
If a person is allergic to poison, the weapon, or the swelling in the sting area, reaches a maximum peak within 48 hours and can last up to 7-10 days. Also revealing some systemic symptoms such as a slight rise in the body temperature, exhaustion and nausea.

Adrenaline, a life -saving in case of serious reactions

«In case of severe allergic reaction, timely administration of adrenaline It is life -saving therapy »underlines Professor Fiocchi. «It is important that i Children at risk have always with it adrenaline self -employment and that the parents are adequately educated on its use « .
If a child has already had symptoms Important, the indication for the family in the event of a new puncture is to immediately alert the emergency service without waiting to see if it is a serious reaction or not.
Parents should always have with them an self -injurious adrenaline pen (at least two doses) and should know how to be ready to intervene in case of need. As an additional treatment to adrenaline, the suggestion is to keep on the stock exchange also antihistamines In drops/syrup if the child is small, or tablets (chewable or that melt quickly in the mouth) for older children.
If the boy comes out without parents or a reference adult, it would be advisable that he had with him a mobile phone to call rescue in case of need.
Finally, it is recommended to make the child wear a bracelet or a medal in which it comes Allergy reported.

Immunotherapy for the most severe cases

For children who have had respiratory symptoms and/or anaphylactic shock And that they were positive for diagnostic texts (prick test or rast), adesensitizing immunotherapywhich consists in the controlled administration of growing doses of the allergen, for a period of 3-5 years.
« In children with important allergic reactions, specific vaccination is essential to ensure effective and safe protection over time » concludes Professor Fiocchi.
At the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, the Antivalene Center to contact for emergencies is also active. The center can be reached by phone 24 hours a day at 06/68593726.