VIRGINIA ESC ELECTRONIC EXAM
PAPER COMPLETE QUESTIONS
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ Q. Describe the early symptoms of someone who is allergic to the
sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Answer: 1. A tingling
sensation on the palms, bottoms of the feet, tongue, and lips.
2. Tightening of the throat.
3. Dizziness and nausea.
◉ Q. Who should be tested to determine if they are allergic to bee
venom? Answer: Beekeepers or others who work where stinging
insects are present as well as firefighters or police officers who may
respond to emergency calls for insect stings. If your normal routine
does not bring you in contact with venomous arthropods, however,
you probably do not need the test.
◉ Q. Describe the first-aid procedures you should apply to someone
who is the victim of an insect sting. Answer: 1. First, look for signs of
dizziness or difficulty breathing. If the victim appears to feel normal
and has been stung only once, basic first aid is all that is needed.
,2. Remove the sting with a sideways scraping movement. Use a
fingernail, credit card, or dull knife. This will prevent more venom
from being pumped in by the venom sac.
3. When possible, apply a paste of baking soda and cold cream or of
wet salt within five minutes of the sting. Apply an ice pack to relieve
pain. Use calamine lotion to help relieve itching.
4. Watch for any unusual symptoms. Examples include difficulty
breathing or the appearance of red blotches anywhere on the body
within two to 20 minutes. If the victim has trouble breathing, he or
she is experiencing a serious allergic reaction. The person must
receive medical attention within 15 to 20 minutes.
5. If an insect stings a person with health problems, seek medical
attention immediately. Stay with the victim until help arrives.
◉ Q. Which sex of the black widow spider is poisonous? Answer:
Female black widows.
◉ Q. What are the symptoms of a bite by a black widow spider?
Answer: Black widow bites are immediately painful. Two small red
marks from the fangs are noticeable on the skin. The pain at the site
of the bite increases during the first half-hour following a bite. Then
other symptoms set in, such as headache, dizziness, shortness of
breath, and abdominal and back pain. Black widow bites are seldom
, fatal to healthy adults. Children and elderly people are the most
vulnerable.
◉ Q. Describe the symptoms of a bite by a brown recluse spider.
Answer: Brown recluse spider bites are sharp but not initially
painful like those of the black widow. A blister is quickly raised,
broken, and surrounded by a red welt. The depressed center of this
raised red circle (the size of a dime to a quarter) turns dark within a
day. In most cases, the dead tissue sloughs away, and the bite area
scars over in one to eight weeks. However, some people develop a
wound with so much dead tissue that they need skin grafting. Death
seldom occurs, but the bite is debilitating and psychologically
traumatic. Other biting arthropods can produce lesions that
resemble the bite of the brown recluse spider. This spider is rarely
found in Virginia.
◉ Q. What other spider often causes concern? Why? Answer: The
yellow house (yellow sac) spider will bite if pressed or accidentally
confined (ex. during the victim's sleep). The venom can cause pain
and reddening at the site of the bite. In some cases, a deadening of
the tissue will occur. However, the wound is much less severe than
that caused by the brown recluse spider.
◉ Q. Describe the symptoms of a poisonous snakebite. Answer:
These can differ greatly from person to person. One individual may
react to the venom with basic signs like pain, swelling, and/or
bleeding. Signs of a severe reaction include skin discoloration, low
PAPER COMPLETE QUESTIONS
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ Q. Describe the early symptoms of someone who is allergic to the
sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Answer: 1. A tingling
sensation on the palms, bottoms of the feet, tongue, and lips.
2. Tightening of the throat.
3. Dizziness and nausea.
◉ Q. Who should be tested to determine if they are allergic to bee
venom? Answer: Beekeepers or others who work where stinging
insects are present as well as firefighters or police officers who may
respond to emergency calls for insect stings. If your normal routine
does not bring you in contact with venomous arthropods, however,
you probably do not need the test.
◉ Q. Describe the first-aid procedures you should apply to someone
who is the victim of an insect sting. Answer: 1. First, look for signs of
dizziness or difficulty breathing. If the victim appears to feel normal
and has been stung only once, basic first aid is all that is needed.
,2. Remove the sting with a sideways scraping movement. Use a
fingernail, credit card, or dull knife. This will prevent more venom
from being pumped in by the venom sac.
3. When possible, apply a paste of baking soda and cold cream or of
wet salt within five minutes of the sting. Apply an ice pack to relieve
pain. Use calamine lotion to help relieve itching.
4. Watch for any unusual symptoms. Examples include difficulty
breathing or the appearance of red blotches anywhere on the body
within two to 20 minutes. If the victim has trouble breathing, he or
she is experiencing a serious allergic reaction. The person must
receive medical attention within 15 to 20 minutes.
5. If an insect stings a person with health problems, seek medical
attention immediately. Stay with the victim until help arrives.
◉ Q. Which sex of the black widow spider is poisonous? Answer:
Female black widows.
◉ Q. What are the symptoms of a bite by a black widow spider?
Answer: Black widow bites are immediately painful. Two small red
marks from the fangs are noticeable on the skin. The pain at the site
of the bite increases during the first half-hour following a bite. Then
other symptoms set in, such as headache, dizziness, shortness of
breath, and abdominal and back pain. Black widow bites are seldom
, fatal to healthy adults. Children and elderly people are the most
vulnerable.
◉ Q. Describe the symptoms of a bite by a brown recluse spider.
Answer: Brown recluse spider bites are sharp but not initially
painful like those of the black widow. A blister is quickly raised,
broken, and surrounded by a red welt. The depressed center of this
raised red circle (the size of a dime to a quarter) turns dark within a
day. In most cases, the dead tissue sloughs away, and the bite area
scars over in one to eight weeks. However, some people develop a
wound with so much dead tissue that they need skin grafting. Death
seldom occurs, but the bite is debilitating and psychologically
traumatic. Other biting arthropods can produce lesions that
resemble the bite of the brown recluse spider. This spider is rarely
found in Virginia.
◉ Q. What other spider often causes concern? Why? Answer: The
yellow house (yellow sac) spider will bite if pressed or accidentally
confined (ex. during the victim's sleep). The venom can cause pain
and reddening at the site of the bite. In some cases, a deadening of
the tissue will occur. However, the wound is much less severe than
that caused by the brown recluse spider.
◉ Q. Describe the symptoms of a poisonous snakebite. Answer:
These can differ greatly from person to person. One individual may
react to the venom with basic signs like pain, swelling, and/or
bleeding. Signs of a severe reaction include skin discoloration, low
