TOWNSVILLE, Australia (31 Jan 2003) -- Dr. Michael Corkeron of the Townsville Hospital Intensive Care Unit has discovered a remarkably simple yet effective treatment for the potentially fatal stings of the venomous irukandji jellyfish. Dr. Corkeron has successfully treated patients with magnesium infusions delivered by intravenous drip. Several tourists have died in recent years and many others have been hospitalized after being stung by irukandji while swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. While it is not yet clear if the magnesium infusions are a reliable antidote for irukandji stings, officials are cautiously optimistic. "This is the first time (we have) something nice and simple," said Health Minister Wendy Edmond. "And from a health minister's point of view, it's cheap and shows a real benefit in treating the syndrome and relieving the experience of pain, the intense pain that these people can feel," she said. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK | 
