A disease of children resulting in acute RENAL failure. An illness with bloody diarrhoea and fever, usually caused by verocytotoxin produced by the bacterium E coli, most commonly type 0157, although sometimes by other micro-organisms. It is followed after about 2 weeks by intravascular COAGULATION of blood which results in HAEMOLYSIS, ANAEMIA, THROMBOCYTOPAENIA and renal failure (resulting from FIBRIN deposition in renal arterioles and glomerular capillaries).

The death rate is about 5 per cent and a further 10–15 per cent develop renal impairment to some degree (so the majority of patients survive without renal failure). The longer the period of OLIGURIA, the greater the risk of chronic renal failure.

Treatment may involve replacement of blood and clotting factors, control of HYPERTENSION, and careful observation of fluid balance.