Hemolytic uremic syndrome in children: Seizure disorders and mortality rate

Background and Objective: Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is a thrombotic microangiopathy that contains hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, renal failure and other organ involvement including central nervous system. Frequency of neurologic complications in patients with HUS is high and important cause of mortality. This study was performed to determine seizure disorders in term of acute neurologic complications in children with HUS. Methods: In this descriptive, cross sectional study, 46 children with diagnosis of HUS were admitted to the Nephrology ward of Ali-Asghar Children’s Hospital from 2010 to 2015. They were evaluated about age, sex, neurologic complications including seizure, diarrhea, PICU admission and mortality rate. Results: In this Study,46 patients were enrolled. Twenty-five (54.3%) patients were male. Mean age was 4.65±4.2 (range from 4month to 15 year). Acute neurologic complications were seen in 16(34.8%) of patients including seizures in 8(17.5%) of cases. Diarrhea was seen in 21(46%) of cases and 18(39%) of patients admitted in PICU. Four (9%) cases died and two of them had seizures. There was no relationship between seizure disorders and age, sex, diarrhea and mortality rate. There was a significant association between mortality and age (p value =0.049, CI=95%, lower = -8.60, upper= -0.02) and between mortality and PICU admission (p=0.009). Conclusion: In children with HUS neurologic complications such as seizure is common. Mortality rate is higher in younger patients specially with early admission in PICU.