In most cases, E.coli is not dangerous. But the Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) bacterium TEC can lead to kidney damage in children. Shiga toxin is a type of toxin that causes damage to the cells in the intestinal wall. Sometimes patients have severe diarrhea, in combination with intestinal bleeding. This lasts about four days and the patient soon feels better again. But in 15 to 20 percent of patients, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can occur up to two weeks after the start of diarrhea. This is acute renal failure and mainly occurs in children between 6 months and 5 years of age. The elderly can also be affected by this.
Children get better before they get worse
Kidney function deteriorates rapidly in HUS because small clots form in the blood vessels of the kidneys and break down the red blood cells. This form of HUS can be recognized by (bloody) diarrhea. Children therefore have to undergo kidney dialysis and sometimes even a kidney transplant. Fortunately, HUS is very rare, but that makes it all the more important for healthcare providers to recognize the symptoms. The difficult thing about a STEC infection is that children often get better before they deteriorate. “Then they develop complications. Follow-up is very important; Stopping too early or not following up often enough can lead to children worsening at home and complications going unnoticed.”
Educate first and second line healthcare providers about STEC
“We especially want to educate primary care providers such as general practitioners and emergency room physicians about this disease. But this knowledge is also important for secondary care, such as pediatricians and internists,” says Van de Kar. Timely action against the symptoms means recovery for the majority of children (85 percent). By the way, timely treatment is not a course of antibiotics, but treatment of symptoms: taking over kidney function, maintaining balance in fluid and mineral balance and blood transfusions.
By: National Healthcare Guide / Johanne Levinsky
2023-11-22 07:00:00
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