Practice Areas

MN Personal Injury Newsletter

Other Practice Areas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

HUS CNS Injuries

HUS InformationPritzker Olsen law firm represents people nationwide who develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after contracting an E. coli infection. Most HUS victims are children. The millions of dollars we have recovered for our clients has giving them financial security as they deal with their health problems and try to get on with their lives. If your loved one has HUS, contact our lawyers for a free consultation.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) often causes central nervous system (CNS) injury. Some of the CNS injury is attributable to HUS kidney failure, which causes uremia. HUS is sometimes accompanied by thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), which is also involves central nervous system (CNS) injuries such as those described below. With TTP, the cause of the CNS injury is usually the thrombi, blood clots in the small vessels. TTP is sometimes referred to as adult HUS, but children can develop TTP HUS.

Seizures and
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)

The primary manifestation of CNS involvement with HUS is seizures. HUS seizures are usually general (affecting the whole brain), but can be focal (affecting a limited area of the brain).  HUS seizures are sometimes the first sign of HUS and thus happen prior to hospitalization.  Seizures can also occur at any point when a child is exhibiting signs and symptoms of HUS or even after an apparent recovery.

HUS seizures are usually brief and easy to control, but a child with HUS may experience status epilepticus, a prolonged seizure or a series of seizures where the child does not regain consciousness.  The mortality rate for HUS patients who experience seizures and/or coma is higher.

HUS Stroke

There are two categories of HUS stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic:

  • Ischemic strokes are either thrombtic or embolic. The ischemic strokes associated with HUS are thrombotic strokes, which are strokes caused by a thrombus (blood clot) that develops in the arteries supplying blood to the brain. HUS patients are at risk for thrombotic stroke because HUS patients can develop tiny thrombi (blood clots) in blood vessels in the central nervous system (CNS). Thrombotic stroke is also referred to as cerebral thrombosis or cerebral infarction.
  • Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures. HUS hemorrhagic stroke is usually related to HUS kidney failure (renal failure). When the kidneys fail, toxins the body should have excreted in urine get into the blood and circulate throughout the body. One of the areas most often damaged is the central nervous system, and stroke is always a risk.

HUS Coma

As with stroke and seizures, the toxins in the blood stream because of the renal failure can cause an HUS-associated coma. There are varying degrees of consciousness. The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to determine the level of coma. The total Glasgow Coma Scale score range is 3-15—the higher the score, the less responsive the patient. A patient with a score of 3-8 is generally considered to be in a coma. Read more about HUS coma and the Glasgow Coma Scale.

If HUS seizures are not readily controlled, the HUS patient may be put into a medically-induced coma.

HUS Encephalopathy

Encephalopathy is a term used when there is brain disfunction or alteration. HUS encephalopathy is usually related to the uremia associated with HUS kidney failure (renal failure). When the kidneys fail, toxins the body should have excreted in urine get into the blood and circulate throughout the body. One of the areas most often damaged is the central nervous system (CNS). When uremia is the cause of the encephalopathy, it is called uremic encephalopathy, metabolic encephalopathy or toxic-metabolic encepalopathy.

What Legal Rights Do HUS Victims Have?

If the HUS was caused by food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, HUS victims have the right to make a good faith claim against a food manufacturer, restaurant or other party responsible for the contamination or selling the contaminated food.

Compensation for HUS victims can include amounts for past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, loss of quality of life and other damages resulting from E. coli HUS. In the case of HUS with CNS injuries, HUS victim compensation can be substantial.

Free Consultation with Lawyer

Our lawyers have a national reputation in the area of food poisoning litigation and have been interviewed and quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Lawyers USA and others. To contact an E. coli lawyer for a free consultation, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online consultation form.

Contact Pritzker Olsen

Keywords: HUS CNS injuries, hemolytic uremic syndrome, central nervous system injuries, HUS stroke, thrombitic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, CNS damage, HUS seizures, HUS coma, encephalopathy, wrongful death, E. coli O157:H7, hemolytic anemia, HUS and TTP, attorney, lawyer, E. coli HUS lawsuit.


Free Case Consultation





Logos
Fred Pritzker on Comcast Newsmakers

Fred Pritzker on Twitter

Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America

 
 

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.