|
DANIKA'S STORY
To look at her, you would never believe that only a year ago, little Danika Starr was close to death. Now a beautiful little blonde 3-year old with an energy level that doesn't quit, back in August of 2006 she was fighting for her life with a severe case of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) caused by E. coli. [see sidebar]
Danika and her younger brother, Derek, both started vomiting and having diarrhea. Their parents, Thad and Katrina, took the children to their pediatrician, who told them it was just a case of the 'flu and that they would be better within a short time. Well, Derek did indeed start improving but Danika got worse. She couldn't keep anything down, water or solids, and was becoming severely dehydrated. Her parents began to get extremely worried, but were told by the doctor that they should give it a little more time. They didn't agree and soon brought her to the Sacred Heart Emergency Room. Fortunately for Danika, the attending physician, Dr. Melissa deFreest, recognized that there could be a real problem and so took a blood sample. Within a very short time she was back with the devastating news that the Starrs had an extremely sick baby who needed to be rushed to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland. She had discovered that Danika had HUS with a BUN [see sidebar] level of 246.
 Upon arrival at Doernbecher, doctors immediately began procedures for dialysis in an attempt to cleanse the deadly toxins from her blood. Her symptoms were so severe they performed two dialysis daily - and each time this procedure was performed, she received a transfusion of red blood cells. But more problems surfaced. The stent for the dialysis was kinked and an infection around it inflamed her whole leg, causing Danika great pain. Attempts to correct it failed so the doctors decided to insert another stent in her carotid artery. This also was unsuccessful and, in fact, caused her to bleed so severely she immediately needed multiple units of blood. Finally after a couple of days delay, the doctors were able to insert a properly functioning stent in her other leg and dialysis could continue.
Was this the end of Danika's problems? No! She developed dangerously high blood pressure - another side effect of HUS - and was given medication to try to bring the level down.
Finally, after 4 weeks in the hospital and about 60 transfusions of blood and blood products, Thad and Katrina were able to bring their daughter home. She needed continuous treatment for her blood pressure and regular checkups in Portland. Although her kidneys have suffered some permanent damage, her doctors are optimistic that she will be able to live a completely normal life and not be faced with a kidney transplant.
A Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood that comes from the waste product urea. Urea is made in the liver when protein is broken down and is then passed out of the body in the urine.
A BUN test is done to see how well the kidneys are working. If the kidneys are not able to remove urea from the blood normally, the BUN level rises. Heart failure, dehydration, or a diet high in protein can also make the BUN level higher. Liver disease or damage can lower the BUN level.
A normal BUN level is below 40; a level of 300 is usually fatal.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening disease that affects the kidneys and blood clotting system. The most common cause of HUS is the E. coli bacteria which is often associated with undercooked beef , raw vegetables or, as recently reported, with unpasteurized apple juice. The E. coli produces a toxin that enters the bloodstream and can cause acute renal [kidney] failure and abnormalities in the blood clotting system. This, in turn, will require dialysis to act as an artificial kidney and transfusions of blood or platelets.
Most cases of E. coli begin with abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Nausea and vomiting are also common symptoms. Most patients recover in 7-10 days but some go on to have HUS which will require a prolonged hospital stay. HUS is more frequent in children than adults
|
