Also known as: HUS
A life-threatening condition that may result from the breakdown (hemolysis) of a large number of red blood cells (RBCs) and damage to the kidneys (uremia). Most often it presents as a complication of an infection of the digestive tract caused by certain bacteria that produce a toxin that enters the bloodstream and destroys RBCs. This syndrome is most commonly associated with infections caused by shiga toxin-producing Eschericha coli (STEC), but may also result from infections caused by Salmonella and Shigella, other types of infections, and sometimes from non-infectious causes.
