Brown Recluse Spider Bite Resulting in Coombs Negative Hemolytic Anemia in a Young Male Requiring Blood Transfusion

Usama Talib; Ahmed H Abdelfattah; Maryam Talib; Hadeel A Dawoud; Nidda Ayub; Sania Ayub; Amaar Talib

doi:10.7759/cureus.26574

Brown Recluse Spider Bite Resulting in Coombs Negative Hemolytic Anemia in a Young Male Requiring Blood Transfusion

Cureus. 2022 Jul 5;14(7):e26574. doi: 10.7759/cureus.26574. eCollection 2022 Jul.

Authors

Usama Talib¹, Ahmed H Abdelfattah², Maryam Talib³, Hadeel A Dawoud⁴, Nidda Ayub⁵, Sania Ayub⁶, Amaar Talib⁷

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, USA.
² Hospital Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, USA.
³ Internal Medicine, Basic Health Unit, Hajiwala, PAK.
⁴ Critical Care Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, EGY.
⁵ Internal Medicine/Hematology, Sharif Medical and Dental College, Lahore, PAK.
⁶ Internal Medicine, Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences, Quetta, PAK.
⁷ Orthopaedics, Hijaz Hospital, Lahore, PAK.

Abstract

Spider bites, including the bites of recluse spiders (Loxosceles, also known as brown spiders), usually lead to local symptoms; however, severe systemic symptoms have also been reported in the literature. Management of spider bites is based on symptoms. In severe cases involving the development of angioedema, hemolytic anemia, skin necrosis with superimposed bacterial infection or disseminated intravascular coagulation, antibiotics, steroids, blood transfusions, and plasma exchange may also play a role. We present a case of a brown recluse spider bite resulting in symptomatic hemolytic anemia and jaundice requiring blood transfusion.

Keywords: bleeding and blood products; brown recluse spider bite; clinical hematology; coomb's negative; delayed hemolytic anemia; hemolytic anemia; internal med; loxosceles bite; spider bite; symptomatic anemia.

Publication types

Case Reports