Urological Disorders

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

What is hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)?

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare condition that mostly affects children under the age of 10. It is often characterized by:

damage to the lining of blood vessel walls
destruction of red blood cells
kidney failure

What causes HUS?

Most cases of HUS occur after an infection in the digestive tract caused by the E. coli bacterium. E. coli may be found in contaminated food, such as diary products and meat.

How might HUS progress?

The first stage of HUS frequently lasts from 1 to 15 days and may include gastrointestinal symptoms such as:

abdominal pain
bloody diarrhea
vomiting

Severe problems in the bowel and colon may develop in some cases. In these cases, even if the gastroenteritis has stopped, a child may still exhibit the following symptoms:

irritability
fatigue
small, unexplained bruises or small clot-sized hemorrhages visible in the mucosal lining of the mouth
paleness

The child may produce little urine because damaged red blood cells and other factors may clog the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys or cause lesions in the kidneys, making the kidneys work harder to remove wastes and extra fluid from the blood.

The body's inability to rid itself of excess fluid and waste may, in turn, cause:

high blood pressure
swelling of the hands and feet
generalized fluid accumulation (edema)

The symptoms of HUS may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Consult a physician for diagnosis.

What does treatment for HUS commonly involve?

There is no known treatment that can stop the progress of the syndrome once it has started.

A treatment regimen will be established by your physician based on your individual condition. Most treatments are aimed at easing the immediate symptoms and signs of this disease and at preventing further complications. This may include any/all of the following:

treatment of high blood pressure
maintaining specific levels of fluids and salts
blood transfusions
kidney dialysis
medication

Statistics related to hemolytic uremic syndrome:

According to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK):

Ninety percent of children with HUS survive past the initial stages of the condition, and most of those will have no long-term effects.
Between 10 percent and 30 percent of the survivors will have kidney damage that leads to permanent kidney failure either immediately or over several years. They will require peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis to wash the wastes and extra fluid from their blood or may require a kidney transplant.
The most vulnerable and severely stricken of children with HUS, between 5 percent and 10 percent, can die during the first acute stage of the disease.

This page was last updated on: February 28, 2008.

For more information, call the University Physicians Consultation and Referral Service at 1-800-492-5538 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).