Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
(HUS)
Medical Author: Benjamin C. Wedro, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
What is a "syndrome?"
The definition of a syndrome in medicine is a collection of symptoms (patient
complaints), signs (findings on physical examination), and laboratory or imaging
findings that tend to group together and be associated with a specific disease
or illness.
What is hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)?
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a disease of blood clotting within the
capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body. As red blood cells pass
through the clogged capillaries, they are sheared apart and broken. This is
called hemolysis and accounts for the first part of the syndrome's name. The
other half of the syndrome's name refers to
kidney failure in which urea and
other waste products build up in the bloodstream because the kidney cannot
filter and dispose of them. (urea=a waste chemical + emia= in the blood).
HUS is also related to another disease caused by a similar clotting process
within the capillaries called thrombotic
thrombocytic purpura (TTP). Within the
medical literature, these two conditions are often considered together. HUS is
more widely known, however, because it has been discussed in the press because
of its relationship to a special type of
E. Coli (Escherichia coli) infection
associated with food poisoning.
What causes hemolytic uremic syndrome?
While the cause of HUS has not been established with certainty, researchers
believe that an abnormal inflammation reaction is stimulated in the blood stream
causing platelets (the parts of the blood that form clots) to sludge in small
blood vessels and form blood clots where they are not supposed to. This uses up
the platelets and causes a shortage of them in the rest of the body. This
abnormal reaction may be caused by a yet unidentified chemical that is produced
in blood plasma (the fluid or non-cellular part of the bloodstream).
The triggering events for HUS are varied and include:
- Enterohemorrhagic E. Coli is a type of bacteria that causes bloody
diarrhea. E. coli is a very common type of bacteria in the body, and it is only
the OH157:H7 type that causes the problem. It can be found in undercooked meat
and other foods; and is one of the causes of food recalls and restaurant-related
food poisoning outbreaks. This accounts for almost 90% of HUS in children.
- Pregnancy and the early postpartum (after delivery) time period and the use
of birth control pills are the more common associations with HUS
- Pneumonia caused by the
Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria is another
possible precipitating factor. HUS is an unusual complication of this common
infection. Most often, this pneumonia is treated with antibiotics as an
outpatient.
- Medications may be also associated with HUS, including some chemotherapy
and immunosuppression drugs, birth control pills,
ticlopidine (Ticlid) and
quinine [(Quinerva,
Quinite) an anti–platelet drug].
- AIDS may be associated with HUS.
Furthermore, there is an inherited type of HUS due to a gene mutation that
affects the blood clotting mechanism.
Next: What are the signs and symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome? »
 |
 |
From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com  |
|
|
- Electrolytes - Electrolytes in the body need to be maintained for bodily fluid function. Electrolytes are lost through bodily secretions such as sweat, diarrhea, vomiting. Source:MedicineNet
- Chemotherapy - Explains chemotherapy, a drug treatment to kill cancer cells. Article includes descriptions, uses, and side effects, and care support. Source:Government
- Dialysis - Dialysis is a procedure that performs many of the normal duties of the kidneys, like filtering waste products from the blood, when the kidneys no longer work adequately. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Source:MedicineNet
- Read 29 more Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome related articles ...
|
| |
|
Specialty RSS
