Our law firm represents HUS E. coli victims nationwide and families of people who died from HUS E coli. Contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys for a free consultation about an E. coli lawsuit.
E. coli O157:H7 causes at least 90 percent of the HUS cases in the United States.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (referred to as HUS) generally occurs around the eighth day after an E. coli O157:H7 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.
Complications of HUS E. coli are severe and can include the following:
- Hemolytic anemia and associated blood complications
- Abnormal kidney function
- Kidney failure (renal failure) that may require a kidney transplant (renal transplant) – illness accompanying kidney failure is called uremia (develops when urea and other waste products are retained in the blood)
- Gall stones – probably caused by rapid hemolysis, breaking open of red blood cells and the release of hemoglobin
- Elevated pancreatic enzyme levels that could lead to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and or pancreatitis
- Central Nervous System (CNS) disturbances such as irritablilty, behavior changes, disorientation, delerium, hallucinations, dizziness and tremors
- Seizures
- Coma
- Stroke
- Encephalopathy
- Respiratory disease syndrome
- Convulsions
- Heart problems, including myocardial infarction, cardio myopathy, cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure
- Cortical blindness, caused by damage to the visual area in the brain’s occipital cortex
- Thrombocytopenia (platelet deficiency in the blood)
- Death, usually from uremia
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is sometimes referred to as hemolytic uremic poisoning. This moniker is apt given that most cases of HUS are the result of E. coli poisoning, which is often contracted via food or water. If you or your child has been diagnosed with E. coli and/or HUS, the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen are available for a free consultation. To contact the firm, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online consultation form.
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