A rare case in Israel: A cyclist swallowed a bee - and his life was saved by a miracle
A Sharon resident was riding his bike when he was attacked by a swarm of bees, one of which entered his mouth. After receiving misleading advice from a chat app, he found himself in a life-threatening situation, until he was saved by the resourcefulness of doctors at Meir Medical Center.
D., a resident of the Sharon region, was nearing the end of a bike ride through the fields of the moshavim when an unusual event interrupted his journey. As he passed near an apiary, several bees collided with his glasses, and one of them entered his mouth. He reacted quickly and spat the bee out, but the stinger remained lodged deep in the uvula in the center of his throat.
As someone who worked as a beekeeper in his childhood together with his father, he has a long and quite painful history with bees. Throughout his life, D. suffered many stings, the most memorable of which occurred when he was attacked in an orchard by a huge swarm of bees. Even though he felt unwell during that incident, he recovered quickly and without medical intervention.
After the sting, he continued his ride, and about 20 minutes later, upon arriving home, he began to feel severe pain and lost the ability to swallow and speak. His family turned for a quick consultation to the ChatGPT app, which advised him to take an allergy pill and go to the emergency room. "I underestimated the severity of the situation," he says, "but after I contacted my family doctor, and he also referred me urgently to the emergency room, I decided to go get checked."
Upon his arrival at the emergency room at the Meir Medical Center of the Clalit group, D. was examined by Dr. Muhammad Samara, a resident physician in the Otolaryngology (ENT) department.
"His neck began to swell and his voice sounded muffled and hoarse. We performed a fiber-optic examination which revealed a picture of significant edema that had spread not only around the uvula but also to the base of the tongue. This is a condition that could have led within a short time to a complete blockage of the airway and a life-threatening situation. After local anesthesia, and with the guidance of a camera and specialized equipment, we managed to extract the stinger. D. was hospitalized for close observation alongside receiving intensive treatment that included steroids, antibiotics, and painkillers," explains Dr. Samara.
Dr. Firas Kassem, director of the Otolaryngology department at Meir Medical Center, added: "A sting in the oral cavity and throat can cause edema and a rapid, lethal blockage of the airway. Breathing difficulties, difficulty swallowing, or a change in voice are clear 'red flags' in these cases and require immediate referral for medical treatment."
"It is important for the public to understand that one must not rely on artificial intelligence software in medical emergencies; these programs do not see the patient and cannot diagnose internal swelling, and may provide a misleading sense of security that will lead to a life-threatening delay in receiving medical treatment," emphasized Dr. Samara.
