Can you survive aHUS?
During the era when plasma infusion or plasma exchange was the mainstay of management, aHUS was associated with a poor prognosis. Historically, 36% of children and 64% of adults developed end-stage renal disease or died within 3 to 5 years of disease onset [3].
Can aHUS be cured?
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a disease that causes blood clots in small blood vessels in your kidneys and other organs. These clots keep blood from getting to your kidneys, which can lead to serious medical problems, including kidney failure. There’s no cure, but treatment can help manage the condition.
What causes aHUS disease?
The cause of Stx HUS most frequently is infection by a particular strain (0157:H7) of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterium. Occasionally, adults may be affected by Stx HUS. (For more information on this disorder, choose “Typical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome” as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Is aHUS serious?
If left untreated, aHUS can be life-threatening and will generally result in end-stage kidney failure.
How do you test for aHUS?
A blood test to measure the level of a protein in your blood called ADAMTS13. This tells doctors if you have aHUS or another condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) that can have similar symptoms.
How do you treat aHUS?
Supportive treatment of aHUS: Treatment includes blood transfusions, dialysis if indicated, and blood pressure control. Patients on dialysis may develop malignant hypertension, and bilateral nephrectomy may be needed to achieve blood pressure control in some of these patients.
How do you get aHUS?
aHUS is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as medicines, cancer, bacterial and viral infections, or even pregnancy. The disease can develop in a person irrespective of age and gender, but generally more women are diagnosed with aHUS than men.
What kind of doctor treats aHUS?
Immunologists. aHUS is the result of irregular activity of a part of the immune system called the complement system in more than half of the cases. An immunologist can suggest the best treatment, such as plasma therapies if your disease falls in this category.
How is aHUS diagnosed?
The first step in diagnosing aHUS is to recognize TMA: schistocytes, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (typically > 600 IU/L), decreased haptoglobin, decreased hemoglobin, and thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 150,000 or > 25% decrease from baseline).