Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
You are taking care of Jennifer, a 6-year-old girl in your pediatric ICU. She had bloody diarrhea and fever for a few days, before her parents noted she had not urinated in a few days. She was admitted for a rising potassium level, as well as decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine clearance, which are very specific markers of kidney function. She was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and interestingly, it was traced back to drinking unpasteurized milk.
-Jennifer's parents accuse your medical team of not doing everything possible to help cure Jennifer because she hasn't received any antibiotics.Why aren't antibiotics prescribed in HUS?

Question

Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
  You are taking care of Jennifer, a 6-year-old girl in your pediatric ICU. She had bloody diarrhea and fever for a few days, before her parents noted she had not urinated in a few days. She was admitted for a rising potassium level, as well as decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine clearance, which are very specific markers of kidney function. She was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and interestingly, it was traced back to drinking unpasteurized milk.
-Jennifer's parents accuse your medical team of not doing everything possible to help cure Jennifer because she hasn't received any antibiotics.Why aren't antibiotics prescribed in HUS?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antibiotics are not helpful in treating HUS because it is caused by a toxin produced by the bacteria, not the bacteria itself. In fact, antibiotics may actually make the condition worse by killing off more bacteria and releasing more toxin into the body. Therefore, antibiotics are not recommended for the treatment of HUS.

Please Read the Clinical Scenario, and Then Answer the Question