Fatal Pulmonary Edema in a Child After Jellyfish Stings in Korea

Abstract

Jellyfish have been increasing at a global scale in recent years. These blooms not only have deleterious effects on marine ecosystems, they also increase the risk of jellyfish stings and accompanying envenomation. Here, we report a fatal case of pulmonary edema caused by jellyfish envenomation in a child in Korea. The patient died 4 h after envenomation despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Nemopilema nomurai was the suspected species of jellyfish encountered by the patient, although we are unable to confirm this. With this case report, we aim to inform on the serious issue of toxicity associated with jellyfish species that bloom mainly along Korean, east Chinese, and Japanese shores and to discuss appropriate first aid methods in case of jellyfish stings.