Article Text
Abstract
A man in his early 70s was transferred to our hospital due to rapid decline in renal function and inflammation throughout the colon, indicating severe ischaemic enteritis. On the day following the start of intensive care, a stool specimen tested positive for verotoxin, and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) was diagnosed. On the same day, his vital signs deteriorated suddenly, and emergency surgery was performed due to the possibility of intestinal necrosis and perforation. Severe inflammation extending to the serosal surface of the whole colon was observed, but there was no obvious intestinal necrosis or perforation. Advanced mucosal necrosis of the entire colon suggested sepsis due to bacterial translocation, and subtotal colectomy was performed to remove the infection source. Postoperative management was successful. This case demonstrates the importance of considering HUS in patients with severe renal dysfunction and bloody stools, as well as the significance of colectomy in such patients.
- Hepatitis and other GI infections
- Adult intensive care
- Gastrointestinal surgery
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Footnotes
Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms, and critical revision for important intellectual content: TA, YI and SO. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: SE.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.