Most fishing injuries in Kuwait are small, ugly, and made worse by panic: a catfish spine through the thumb, a hook buried past the barb, a gill cover that opens a knuckle. The first ten minutes decide whether the trip continues or ends at the hospital.
For a cut from a hook, gill plate or knife, press clean gauze firmly on the wound and hold for five to ten minutes without lifting it to peek. Raise the hand above heart level and keep still. Still bleeding heavily after ten minutes of steady pressure? That is a hospital case.
For a spine, do not squeeze the wound and do not yank it straight out. Rinse with clean seawater, then pull with clean tweezers in the direction it entered. Rabbitfish and scorpionfish spines carry barbs that snap off and stay under the skin, so if the tip breaks, leave it. Digging with a needle turns a small sting into an infection.
Catfish, scorpionfish and stonefish stings burn and spread fast. Standard first aid is immersion in hot water, about 45°C and as hot as you can stand with the other hand, for 30 to 60 minutes or until the pain clearly drops. Heat breaks the venom down at the site.
If the barb is not through the skin, back the hook out the way it entered. If the point is buried, do not tear it through muscle. Cut the line and the hook eye, tape the hook steady so it does not shift with every wave, and head in. A hook past the barb, and anything near the eye, is a clinic job. After removal, flush the wound, wash with soap, dry and cover it, because hook wounds close fast and trap bacteria.
Change the dressing daily and actually look at the wound. Redness spreading past the edge, heat, pus, or a red line running up the arm within 48 hours means antibiotics, soon. Diabetics should not wait for those signs at all.
Head ashore immediately for a sting to the face, neck or eye, a deep cut that will not stop, a spine you cannot remove, or any sign of a severe reaction. Emergency services in Kuwait are on 112. The B7R app gives you tide times for Shuwaikh and Shuaiba plus sea state, so you can plan the run back before the tide drops and the channel gets awkward.
Keep a small sealed kit on board: gauze, tape, tweezers, scissors, antiseptic, antibiotic ointment, gloves and zip bags. A cheap waterproof box beats a bag that soaks through.
This is general guidance only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. For serious injuries call 112 immediately.
Photograph any fish you cannot identify, and check the species guide before you handle the next one. Download the B7R app free on Google Play: get it here.