E. coli and HUS
Our E. coli HUS clients have included children and adults. In the video below, Attorney Elliot Olsen discusses E. coli HUS in children. Mr. Olsen has significant experience in this area.
Our E. coli attorneys have represented many people who contracted hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) from an E. coli O157:H7 infection. In many of these cases, our clients were hospitalized for several weeks, most almost died, some will need a kidney transplant in the future. These people experienced unthinkable degrees of pain because someone did not take the measures necessary to prevent E. coli from contaminating food.
What is Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)?
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is an illness where red blood cells are damaged and destroyed. This leads to a lower than normal number of red blood cells (a condition called anemia), blood clots, and damage to blood vessel walls. Complications of HUS are severe and can include the following:
- Hemolytic anemia and associated blood complications
- Kidney failure (renal failure)
- Gall stones
- Pancreatitis
- Central Nervous System (CNS) damage
- Seizures
- Coma
- Stroke
- Encephalopathy
- Respiratory disease syndrome
- Convulsions
- Heart problems, including heart attack (myocardial infarction), cardio myopathy, cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure
- Cortical blindness
- Thrombocytopenia (platelet deficiency in the blood)
- Death
HUS Caused by E. coli Infection
E. coli O157 causes 90% or more of the cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). In light of this, the CDC urges health professionals to get a culture for E. coli O157 from all HUS patients.
If E. coli O157 is found in the culture, the CDC recommends avoiding treatment with antibiotics. In several E. coli outbreaks, people who received antibiotics had a higher risk of kidney failure or death.
HUS generally occurs around the eighth day after an E. coli infection presents as diarrhea. Generally, fifteen percent of children under ten who contract an E. coli infection developed HUS. In recent E. coli outbreaks, the percentage of adults who developed HUS from an E. coli infection varied greatly, but children remain at the greatest risk of developing HUS.
HUS is often associated with E. coli-related bloody diarrhea, but only about 70% of HUS cases are preceded by bloody diarrhea. Anyone with severe gastrointestinal illness accompanied by watery or bloody diarrhea, especially in children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, should get medical attention.
In some cases, by the time a patient seeks medical attention for the HUS, the E. coli culture will be negative because the E. coli has passed through the patient’s system. The CDC recommends doing a rectal swab on admission for any patient suspected of having HUS in addition to getting stool samples.
For a free consultation about your E. coli HUS case, please call Pritzker Olsen attorneys toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online consultation form.
