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Sub-Category:

Thrombotic Microangiopathies

Number of Conditions: 1

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)

Specialty: Nephrology

Category: Vascular Kidney Diseases

Sub-category: Thrombotic Microangiopathies

Symptoms:
pale skin; fatigue; bloody diarrhea; reduced urination; swelling; bruising; confusion; high blood pressure

Root Cause:
HUS is caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the kidneys, often due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), leading to hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis involves clinical history (e.g., recent diarrheal illness), blood tests (low hemoglobin, elevated creatinine, fragmented red blood cells on a peripheral smear), stool tests for Shiga toxin, and ADAMTS13 enzyme activity (to rule out TTP).

Treatment:
Treatment includes supportive care such as fluid management, dialysis for severe kidney failure, blood transfusions if needed, and sometimes plasma exchange or eculizumab (in atypical HUS).

Medications:
Treatment may include Eculizumab (a monoclonal antibody targeting complement protein C5, used for atypical HUS), antihypertensive agents (for blood pressure control), and antiplatelet drugs (in certain cases of atypical HUS).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
HUS is rare, with an incidence of about 2 cases per 100,000 people per year in developed countries.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Consumption of contaminated food, recent gastrointestinal infections (especially with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli), genetic mutations in complement regulation (atypical HUS), and immune suppression.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With prompt treatment, many patients recover, although atypical HUS has a higher risk of recurrence and long-term complications. Chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease may develop in severe cases.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Kidney failure, neurological complications (e.g., seizures, stroke), high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease.