Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome - Identifying the Patient Condition - Essay Example

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) Identifying the Patient Condition The health of a mother and baby remain crucial to the society as they are solely responsible for posterity of humanity. Maternal deaths in the past were a common occurrence, with mothers suffering from lack of adequate expertise, in access to medical facilities and complications during or after the pregnancy. However, with the current developments in maternal health, both mother and baby have surety of proper medical attention to save their lives. Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) as a health complication is fatal for any patient that suffers from the condition (Barkin 2009, p. 23). It is a case which may result to the eventual failure of the kidney, further, resulting to the death of the patient. The condition stems from abnormal and premature red blood cells destruction, which then clogs the filter system within the kidneys. In view of the condition, various factors may result to such happenings, endangering the life of the patient. The condition of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome happens in most cases on children often after having a bloody diarrhea, which results from infection with a strand of Escherichia coli (E. coli) (Eddy 2011, p 17). In the case of adult infection, the condition may stem from various causes, including the infection from the E. coli. Among other causes of the condition of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in adults is taking particular types of medication, which then results in dysfunctional kidneys, another infection that affects the lymphatic system and pregnancy. In this case, the pregnancy basis is of concern as the patient presented in the case study developed several symptoms and conditions that linked the condition to a severe case of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. The patient suffered significantly as the maternity reports show that the delivery did not have any complications. Thus, in this case, it is essential to evaluate the conditions she suffered thereafter with respect to her initial pregnancy status and the process of her delivery. This will aid to establish whether the case is Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and the therapeutic options available for management of the condition for the patient. Appraisal of the Clinic Findings In view of the patient and the condition of Oliguria with Protenuria, several aspects connect the condition of the patient to the Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, considering that she was coming from the maternity. The factors of pregnancy that relate to the resulting of Oliguria in pregnancy are diverse. For instance, the patient during the process of delivery may suffer excessive loss of body fluid. In such a case, the patient suffers dehydration, leading to the production of insufficient urine to facilitate the working of the kidney, hence its failure (‘Postinfectious Glomerulonephritis’ 2012, p 87). Further, is the aspect of amniotic fluid embolus, in which a person giving birth is likely to suffer since the amniotic fluid bursts during birth. Additionally, the placental abruption and uterine rapture during the process of delivering may result to Oliguria, which after complication further leads to Protenuria. Protenuria will occur since the release of all these substances within the body of the patient will need to pass through the kidney for excretion to occur. Therefore, in view of the patient developing the signs of Oliguria with Protenuria, these factors could be the source of the case condition. In the case of the patient showing signs of edema after delivering, this is a usual happening for some women after birth. Edema in its simplistic occurrence, in expectant women, is because of the body producing excess fluid, which then prevents the circulation of the blood, and lymphatic system fluids within the body (Foreman 2011, p 31). The concentration of the blood and lymphatic system fluids within the limb sections lead to swellings that indicate the patient suffers edema. However, in the case of such swelling of the limbs after delivery, the origin is usually the excessive fluids within the body of the patient. In this case study, the patient showed such symptoms of edema after about four hours of delivering which is possible because of the excess fluids in her body. She suffered the swelling since the body was not eliminating the excess fluids, which develop to accommodate the baby. The elimination of these fluids happens through sweating and urinating, a process initiated by the excretion system which also involves the kidney. Thus, in the case that the patient had a complication with the kidney, then it is possible for the patient to develop Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Therefore, the patient in the case study is possibly a victim of the factors that contribute accordingly to the development of edema, further aggravating occurrence of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Jaundice with respect to pregnancy is relatively a rare condition. However, in case of its happening it has remarkably dire consequences to the maternal health. The case may result during pregnancy or after the delivery process because of the following occurrence. The pre-eclampsia of the blood cells usually resulting from aspects of haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count (HELLP). During the pregnancy, excretion of the baby waste also passes through the body system of the mother, which could lead to liver problems. Secondly, during the pregnancy, the patient may suffer from acute fatty liver (Altamirano & Jaquez 2012, p. 74). In such a case, the liver is unable to synthesize and breakdown the fats in the body, resulting in their excretion through the urinary system. However, as these fats get to the kidney, they may clog the glomerula, leading to less filtration process, thus affecting the health of the patient. It is a common occurrence for pregnant women, approximately 3 to 5 percent to suffer abnormal functioning of the liver. Thus, in such cases, the patient is likely to suffer from jaundice. In this case, these are factors to consider in examining the patient and establishing a therapeutic procedure for the patient. Most patients that suffer the condition of jaundice after delivery are first time mothers, either pre-eclampsia women or women with twin pregnancies. Therefore, in view of the case study, the patient could be in either of these categories. Nonetheless, the condition of jaundice can further aggravate the occurrence of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome due to the failure of the liver system, which further, increases chances of the kidney failure. Treatment is essential within the initial stages of determining the symptoms of the patient, as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome is fatal when not managed early. Therapeutic Options In this present case, the coincidence of Oliguria with Protenuria, Jaundice and Edema syndrome in a patient complicates the situational analysis available to manage the condition of the patient. In Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, when a patient suffers inadequate red blood cells, they exhibit signs such as fatigue, short breath, rapid heart rate, yellow skin and dark urine. The yellow skin in this patient, although it could be resulting from jaundice, it is essential that before the treatment commences, the doctors should get a blood cell count for the patient to establish her red blood cell count. This will help give a proper diagnosis of the condition, determining whether to give treatment for Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome only or with the incorporation of jaundice treatment. In the incident that the patient is suffering low red blood cell count, the treatment for Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in this case will be the administration a red blood cell transfusion (Mongia & Singh 2013, p 37). This will increase the red blood cell of the patient, and help eliminate the yellow skin symptoms of the patient. The administration of the red blood cell transfusion is through an intravenous (IV) needle, which will help to reverse the symptoms of the yellow skin among others. In view of the symptoms indicating possible occurrence of edema and Oliguria with Protenuria, there are several factors for consideration to aid in the treatment of the patient and management of the condition. To begin with, the circumstance of Oliguria could result because the patient during delivery lost excess body fluids, reducing the fluid level of the body and losing electrolytes needed for ensuring the process of kidney functioning. Therefore, it is essential for the examination to consider treatment by fluid replacement, since the kidneys are not removing the fluids and waste effectively (Brex, Nashef & Marsh 2012, p 89). Replacing the lost fluid and electrolytes will facilitate proper functioning of the kidney, eliminating the chances of the patient further, suffering any complications, since this is an effective treatment for Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. The symptoms indicating the presence of edema in a patient are also common in Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome; hence, the patient needs proper therapeutic care. In this case, the source of edema is that plasma, which is the blood part that supports the circulation of blood cells, is insufficient or infected (Mongia & Singh 2013, p 56). Therefore, to cure the patient, the therapeutic options should consider conducting a plasma exchange, in which they will use a machine to remove the blood plasma of the patient and replace it with donor plasma, a process called plasmapheresis. Further, in case the patient suffers an extreme case of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome the therapeutic options should also include kidney dialysis to assist the patient to filter the excess fluids and waste from the blood, alleviating the features of edema and Oliguria with Protenuria. With these treatment procedures to the patient in the case study, the hospital doctors will therapeutically manage the Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome of this patient. Bibliography Brex, P, Nashef, L & Marsh, M 2012, Neurology and Pregnancy: Clinical Management. London: Informa Healthcare, Discovery eBooks, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014 Barkin, R 2009, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, New York: McGraw-Hill, AccessPediatrics, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014. Eddy, A 2011, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), New York: McGraw-Hill, AccessPediatrics, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014. Foreman, J 2011, Edema, New York: McGraw-Hill, AccessPediatrics, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014. Mongia, A, & Singh, A 2013, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, New York: McGraw-Hill, AccessPediatrics, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014. Altamirano, F. T., & Jaquez, C. M 2012, Pregnancy: Risk Management and Recovery. New York: Nova Science, Discovery eBooks, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014. ‘Postinfectious Glomerulonephritis’ 2012, Credo Reference Collections, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 March 2014. Read More