Allergic shock caused by ingestion of cooked jellyfish

Abstract

Rationale:Although anaphylaxis caused by jellyfish stings is common in coastal areas, an allergic shock caused by cooked jellyfish ingestion has never been reported in China. In this paper, we report a case of allergic shock being caused by ingestion of cooked salt-preserved jellyfish shortly after being stung by a live jellyfish.Patient concerns:A 26-year-old Chinese man presented with dizziness, pruritus, dyspnea, hypotension, and tachycardia after eating cooked salted jellyfish. The patient had been stung twice by jellyfish half a year ago.Diagnoses:Allergic shock caused by ingestion of cooked jellyfish.Interventions:The patient was treated with phenergan (25 mg, intramuscular injection), 250 mL normal saline (NS) and 10 mg dexamethasone (intravenous drip), 500 mL NS and 0.4 g cimetidine (intravenous drip), and 500 mL NS for rapid fluid infusion (intravenous drip).Outcomes:After the treatment, the main clinical symptoms of the patient improved quickly. Five days later, the patient's urticaria had dissipated.Lessons:A history of jellyfish contact or sting might be an important allergic factor for individuals who consume any kind of jellyfish.

A Systematic Review of Risk Assessment Associated with Jellyfish Consumption as a Potential Novel Food

“…The studies included in the final synthesis show that patients with allergies to crustaceans, cephalopods, mollusks, seafood and fish can consume jellyfish without increasing risk of an allergic reaction [17,19]. Three case reports of anaphylaxis have occurred after eating raw jellyfish [33][34][35], while one article written by Li et al [18] describes an episode of anaphylaxis after eating jellyfish that were not only salt-preserved but also cooked. Moreover, it would be appropriate to know if, in the presented case report, the jellyfish have been prepared correctly, eliminating all the non-edible parts like the stinging tentacles and the reproductive and digestive tracts.…”

“…Six studies have been included in the final synthesis that refer to this risk. A case report by Li et al [18] showed a 26-year-old Chinese male that developed symptoms of erythema, pruritus, and palpitation half an hour after eating cooked salt-preserved jellyfish. He exhibited dizziness, dyspnea, and tachycardia.…”

“…The 14 works included in this systematic review are methodologically different. Four articles related to the allergenic risk must be interpreted with caution because, being case reports, they refer only to a single case and not to large population samples [18,33,34]. Regarding the allergenic risk, the population samples used in a study conducted by Amaral [19] are small (twenty-five patients), and this could limit the generalization of the results.…”

“…Jellyfish stings may induce immediate or delayed toxic reactions. Upon contact with the tentacles, the cnidocytes may penetrate the skin and inject the venom, causing nematocyst dermatitis, anaphylactoid reaction, shock, and even death [18]. The edible part is the umbrella, while the stinging tentacles, the reproductive and digestive tracts are removed [17].…”

Jellyfish as Food: A Narrative Review

“…Li et al [ 84 ] report a case study about a Chinese man (26 years old) who consumed cooked salt-preserved jellyfish and had erythema, pruritus and tachycardia, dizziness and dyspnea. This man was healthy without a medical history of any allergies to drugs and/or other substances, but was violently stung by jellyfish some 6 months before.…”