Issue Three 2015
2015, Vol. 2, issue 3, (November)
Literature Review
Hemolytic uremic syndrome
Abstract:
Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a form of thrombotic microangiopathy which takes its clinical course by a triad of symptoms: microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure. We review a considerable amount of literature about the mentioned problem. Two kinds of hemolytic uremic syndrome are known today: the first one is associated with a preceding diarrheal episode, most commonly caused by Escherichia coli, while the second one is not associated with diarrhea, but with different streptococcal infections or genetic mutations. Because antibiotics and anti-diarrheal drugs play a role as a trigger factor for the disease, supportive care is the essential treatment of patients with diarrhea-associated variant of the disease and plasma therapy for non-diarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome. New therapeutic strategies are developed such as SYNSORB for diarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome and Eculizumab for the non-diarrheal variant. The prognosis of the disease is auspicious, but what about non-diarrheal forms, up to 25% of patients die in the acute phase and 50% progress to end stage renal disease /ESRD/. For these reasons the characteristics of hemolytic uremic syndrome have to be known in details and physicians have to focus on early diagnosis and treatment of the disease when its prognosis stays auspicious.
Authors:
Iliyan Todorov; Department of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology and Dermatology, Medical University of Varna;Dimitrichka Bliznakova; Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, Medical University of Varna;
Margarita Gospodinova; Department of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology and Dermatology, Medical University of Varna;