Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

Abstract EN

Purpose.

To analyze the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) in Uberlandia, MG, Brazil.

Methods.

A historical cohort study was performed encompassing a ten-year period from January 1994 to January 2004 in the Department of Pediatric Nephrology at a full-service hospital; demographic factors, triggering factors, time of hospitalization, supportive therapy, and disease progression were analyzed.

Results.

Twenty-seven children aged 5 to 99 months (median age of 14 months) were studied; 70.4% were male.

Of the 27 patients, 77.8% were from urban areas and 18.5% were from rural areas.

Eight of the patients (29.6%) were reported to drink raw milk, and clinical diarrhea was reported in 81.5% of cases.

The most common signs and symptoms were fever and vomiting (85.1%), anuria (63.0%), seizure (33.0%), cardiac involvement (11.0%), and acute pulmonary edema (7.4%).

Dialysis was performed on 20 patients (74%).

The mean hospital stay was 24 days (range: 13 to 36 days).

While monitoring the patients, 2 died (7.4%), 3 developed chronic kidney disease (11.0%), and 21 (77.8%) developed hypertension.

Conclusion.

Our results emphasize the possibility of diagnosing HUS as a cause of renal failure in childhood in both typical (postdiarrheal) and atypical forms and suggest that an investigation of the etiological agent should be made whenever possible.