A person may die from honey bee stings if enough venom is injected. A very large amount of venom may be injected by a large number of bees, especially Africanized "killer" bees.
Factor
Impact
anaphylactic reaction to the venom without desensitization
a single sting may be lethal
anaphylactic reaction to the venom following desensitization
numerous stings could overcome the desensitization
stinger left embedded or removed
a honey bee stinger remains embedded in the skin and continues to inject venom
where the venom is injected
some skin sites are associated with better absorption than others
comorbid conditions in the patient
a patient with significant heart, lung or kidney disease may succumb to lower venom dose
availability of anti-venom
potent anti-venom can reduce the systemic toxic response (but not the anaphylactic response)
size of the patient based on body weight
the larger the person the higher the lethal dose (see below)
size of the bee
a larger bee may inject more venom
The relative dose of venom may be described based on the number of stings per pound or kilogram of body weight. Estimates for a lethal number of stings range from 7 to 10 stings per pound of body weight (15.4 to 22 stings per kilogram).
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
