Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS)

With thanks to Dr David Gardiner, one of our current paediatric FY2 doctors at Homerton University Hospital, for updating us on HUS.

News story in 1999
News story from 2018.  Less than 3% of patients die of HUS but 20-30% experience adverse renal outcomes.  Think about it in children with bloody diarrhoea and, often, no fever.

Presentation:

  • Profuse diarrhoea that typically turns bloody after 1-3 days
  • Abdominal pain (crampy)
  • Vomiting
  • Fever (sometimes)
  • Oedema
  • Reduced urine output (abrupt onset) but also polyuria/normal urine output (rarer)
  • Neurological complications: seizure, coma, cranial nerve palsies, confusion, hallucinations
  • Classic triad – anaemia, uraemia and thrombocytopaenia
  • Most common in children under the age of 5

Investigations:

  • B/P – hypertension
  • Blood film: Fragmentation and signs of haemolysis (Coombs test negative)
  • Raised WCC and neutrophils, low platelets, low Hb
  • Raised LDH
  • Clotting screen typically normal (cf DIC)
  • Raised bilirubin, low albumin
  • Urea and creatinine raised
  • Stool for PCR E.Coli

Management:

  • Refer to secondary care urgently
  • Strict input/output fluid monitoring
  • Correction of anaemia
  • Correction of electrolyte imbalances
  • Antihypertensive therapy if required
  • Dialysis
  • Furosemide to induce diuresis
  • Report to PHE – can’t go back to school until 2 negative stool samples

More resources:

Kidney Research website on HUS

https://patient.info/doctor/haemolytic-uraemic-syndrome-pro#ref-8

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