Animal victims of the blue ringed octopus are often fully conscious and paralyze
ID: 3475872 • Letter: A
Question
Animal victims of the blue ringed octopus are often fully conscious and paralyzed as the octopus consumes them, because the venom blocks voltage-gated sodium channels causing paralysis of skeletal muscle. This means that their brain and heart are still functioning despite the fact the peripheral nervous system is failing to fire action potentials.
a) After biting you and injecting you with venom, the octopus realizes that you are too big to eat, and slimes away. Assuming that you are not bleeding from the bite, what will cause your heart and brain to stop functioning after a number of minutes? Be very specific and think about what cells need to function!.
b) A surfer comes along almost immediately before your heart and brain stop functioning and notices the blue-ringed octopus crawling away. So despite the fact that you can’t talk, he cleverly deduces the cause of your predicament. What life-saving measures can the surfer administer to you?
c) After biting you and injecting you with venom, the octopus realizes that you are too big to eat, and slimes away. Assuming that you are not bleeding from the bite, what will cause your heart and brain to stop functioning after a number of minutes? Be very specific and think about what cells need to function!
Explanation / Answer
Blue ringed octopus bites sometimes be fatal as it causes paralysis of muscles.
A) Adequate function of any organ requires oxygen which comes by blood flow. Because of the paralysis of skeletal muscles results in inadequate venous return and inturn cardiac output. Over a long period of time the heart and brain sufferes from fatal hypoxia due to lack of oxygen and leads to anoxia which results in death of heart and brain cells ultimately leads to death.
B) The immediate life saving measure is to prevent the venom to spred to overall body. The first step is wap the biten area firmly distal to bitten site with some tapes but ensure adequate circulation to distal parts thus preventing the venom to spread toward the center of the body, and calling for Emergency services to lifesaving measures
If the victim is already in complicated condition, which suffers from respiratory and cardiac arrest, the immediate procedure to start is CPR cardio pulmonary resuscitation thus restore the cardiac and respiratory function inorder to survive.