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Ency. home > Disease > H > Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

HUS

Symptoms

Early symptoms:

Blood in the stools

Irritability

Later developing symptoms:

Low urine output (oliguria)
No urine output (anuria)
Pallor
Bruising
Skin rash that looks like fine red spots (petechiae)
Yellowish coloration to the skin (jaundice)
Consciousness - decreased
Seizures -- rare

Signs and Tests

Physical examination may show an enlarged liver or spleen. There may be variable, abnormal neurological changes. There is laboratory evidence of hemolytic anemia and acute renal failure.

A CBC demonstrates:
- Decreased platelets (thrombocytopenia).
- Rupture of red blood cells (hemolysis).
- Anemia from loss of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia).
- Elevated white blood count.
The platelet count may be decreased.
Coagulation studies such as PT and PTT may be normal or abnormal.
Blood chemistry such as a chem-20 shows abnormalities.
- The BUN is elevated.
- The creatinine is elevated.
- Free hemoglobin is elevated.
A urinalysis demonstrates:
- Blood in the urine (hematuria).
- Protein in the urine (proteinuria).
A urine protein test can be used to show the amount of protein in the urine.

Other tests:

Stool culture may be positive for a specific type of E. coli.
Kidney biopsy (renal biopsy) shows diagnostic changes.

Ency. home > Disease > H > Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)

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