A Fatal Case of Intravascular Coagulation After Bee Sting Acupuncture

ABSTRACT

Bee stings can cause severe adverse reactions, leading to anaphylaxis, cardiovascular collapse, and death. In some cases, bee venom also induces disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). However, to our knowledge, there has been no fatal case of intravascular coagulation accompanied by anaphylaxis caused by bee sting acupuncture. Here, we report a fatal case of a 65-year-old woman with DIC, following anaphylactic shock after bee sting acupuncture. This case emphasizes that practitioners should consider anaphylaxis followed by coagulation abnormalities when a patient's vital signs are unstable after bee sting acupuncture.