Acute Kidney Injury Following Bee and Wasp Stings: A Case Series from Bangladesh

Abstract

Hymenoptera stings, especially wasps and bees, are relatively common but under-reported in tropical countries. It may cause mild to life-threatening complications like anaphylactic shock, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, acute myocardial infarction, acute hepatic failure, and encephalitis. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening manifestation, attributed to mechanisms including hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, hypotension, and direct nephrotoxicity. Data from Bangladesh remains limited. We describe four cases of wasp and bee sting–associated AKI managed at a tertiary care center in Bangladesh.All were male, and the average age was 66 ±2 years. . The average time to access tertiary care was 3.5 ± 2 days. All cases were hemodynamically stable. 75% of cases had altered sensorium at presentation.. All of them had hepatic dysfunction, raised CPK  and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis. Mortality was high in our series (3/4, 75%) mostly due to sudden cardiac involvement.

Bangladesh J Medicine 2026; 37(3): 246-250