Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Research Paper

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), is a referred to as a disease characterized by hemolytic anemia, caused by the destruction of red blood cells, acute kidney failure (uremia), and a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Although, it mostly affects children, there have been cases of adults with this illness. The destroyed red blood cells block the filtering system in the kidneys, which can lead to a life-threatening kidney failure. HUS usually develops in children after five to 10 days of diarrhea, often bloody and caused by infection with certain strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria (O157:H7 Strain). Adults also develop HUS due to E. coli or other types of infection, certain medications, or pregnancy. HUS is a serious condition, but
Very small molecules like water, electrolytes, glucose, fatty acids, amino acids, nitrogenous wastes, and vitamins can pass through the filtration membrane into the Bowman's capsule. These substances have about the same concentration in the glomerular filtrate as in the blood plasma. Some substances do not pass through the membrane which makes them to be retained in the bloodstream because they are bound to plasma proteins. For example, most calcium, iron, and thyroid hormone in the blood are bound to plasma proteins that does not allow them to be filtered by the kidneys. The small fractions that are not bound to plasma protein, however, passes freely through the filtration membrane and appears in the urine. Kidney infection and trauma can damage the filtration membrane. This allows proteins or blood cells to filter through. The mere presence of these proteins in the urine can be used to detect kidney disease. In the case of HUS, the presence of protein and blood in the urine is used to detect that the kidney has been damages to an extent and treatment must commence immediately to correct it.
Glomerular filtration must be controlled. If it is too high, fluid flows through the renal tubules too rapidly for them to reabsorb the required amount of water
Here, acid-base balance and waste removal is achieved. This process is achieved by passive diffusion that involves the movement of molecules from the peritubular capillaries to the interstitial fluid within the nephron. It also involves active transport involving the movement of molecules via ATPase pumps that transport the substance through the renal epithelial cell into the lumen of the nephron (Boundless, 2016). This process differs from the reabsorption process in that it filters and cleans substances form the blood and do not retain them. Some of these substances include, potassium ions, hydrogen ions, urea, hormones, and others. Failure of the kidney to undergo this process allows wastes to be backed up in the system which endangers the organ systems in the