Bee envenomation induced acute renal failure in an 8 year old child

Abstract

Massive envenomations by bees are capable of causing multiorgandysfunction as a result of direct toxic effects of the largevenom load received. Although all varieties of honey bee havethe potential for these attacks, the Africanized honey bee (Apismellifera scutellata) is the most commonly implicated subspecies.In the United States, the Africanized strain is found primarilyin the southwestern states and is known for its highly defensivebehavior if disturbed. Mechanisms behind the multiorgan dysfunctionproduced by these mass envenomations are not clearly understood.We present a case of an 8-year-old boy who was stung by multiple bees and developed progressive upper-body swelling andsystemic manifestations of mass envenomation including rhabdomyolysis,renal insufficiency, and a transient transaminase elevation. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2011; 5(1): 34-36

Keywords

• environmental risk
• renal failure
• rhabdomyolysis
• bee envenomation