Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome essays

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome essays While viewing an episode of forensic files on Court TV February 2004, I was inspired to do my research paper on Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). As I watched, an eleven-year-old boy was suffering from a severe outbreak of HUS. I watched in disbelief as this childs body shut down one system after another. He had severe vomiting and diarrhea that his mother tried to home remedy with Pepto-Bismol and Imodium. After several days when blood was present in the diarrhea and his fever became dangerously high he was hospitalized. The boy quickly slipped into a coma and his respiratory collapsed causing him to be put on a ventilator. Soon fluid started to build around his heart which threatened his life and he had to undergo emergency surgery. Severe seizures shook his tiny body on several occasions. His kidneys shut down and he had to be put on dialysis, then fluid built up around his heart again and another emergency surgery was needed to remove the fluid. Tests ordered by the doct or were to no avail and the doctor did not know the cause of the problems. Then the boy started to recover, but from what no one knew. As he became coherent and was able to talk he told his parents of some raw hamburger he accidentally ate during his camping trip. The parents brought the boy some fast food and as he sipped from his drink he suffered severe stomach pain and had another seizure and slipped back into the coma. The parents told the doctor of the raw hamburger meat and tests revealed the boy was suffering from HUS. The mothers attempt to home remedy the diarrhea and vomiting had caused the bacteria E-Coli (OH157:h7) to multiple in the intestines severely. Blood transfusions were not helping, and the parents soon sought outside help. They found a doctor that had been working with plasma transfusions and it was working in patients with severe HUS. After getting permission from the hospital the doctor brought his equipment and ...