Pediatric emergency medicine trisk 0532 0532

thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury. Children are affected most often in
the first 3 years of life. They often present with abdominal pain, vomiting, and
diarrhea that become bloody. Five to 10 days after onset of diarrhea, children with
HUS develop pallor, petechiae, and decreased urine output. The most common
cause of HUS is Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli 0157:H7).
Pseudomembranous colitis is another serious disorder that may cause bloody
diarrhea. Clinically, the child with pseudomembranous colitis appears ill with
prostration, abdominal distention, and blood in the stool. This disease results from
an overgrowth of toxin-producing Clostridium difficile, usually as a result of
destruction of the normal intestinal microflora. It may occur at any age but is
uncommon in early childhood. Although the incidence of pseudomembranous
colitis is highest after treatment with clindamycin, studies have shown that
exposure to any antibiotic increases susceptibility to C. difficile infection. In fact,
because of its common use, amoxicillin is responsible for most cases of
pseudomembranous colitis in childhood, even though overall incidence of C.
difficile infection after therapy with this agent is low. Occasional cases occur in
children with no recent usage of antibiotics.