PLASMA INFUSION AS TREATMENT FOR 33 CHILDREN WITH HEMOLYTIC-UREMIC SYNDROME - A GOOD THERAPY

Between May 87 and December 91, 33 children aged from 2 months to 13 9 /12 years were admitted for haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) . Treatm ent consisted of daily fresh-frozen plasma infusion (20 ml/kg/day) dur ing 14 days. On admission, 20 patients (61%) had an oligoanuria: 18 un derwent a peritoneal dialysis and 2 an haemodialysis with a median dur ation of dialysis of 14 days. A good outcome was rapidly observed in a ll patients. A normalisation of the platelet count and a sustained nor mal level of haemoglobin were obtained after a median of 8 days. The f ollow-up ranged from 7 months to 4 8/12 years: all patients had a norm al blood pressure with correct growth. Only 3 children (9%) still had urinary abnormalities : one an isolated microscopic haematuria 3 years after diagnosis and 2 others a mild proteinuria after 1 3/12 year and 4 8/12 years with reduction of the renal function to 80% of the norma l for the last one. In our series, plasma infusions lead to a rapidly favourable outcome in all patients and seem to be an effective therapy of HUS in chilhood.