Abstract
An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 infections associated with unpasteurized school lunch caused illness in more than 6,000 school children in July 1996 in Sakai, Japan. In addition, more than 100 children developed secondary hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Seven patients with HUS were referred and admitted to our hospital for intensive care. In this paper we present the treatment for HUS in these patients and the management for preventing nosocomital infection in the pediatric ward. Moreover, we evaluated quality of life in 7 patients and their parents with an original questionnaire. The self-reported quality of life showed that (1) all parents had no right other than to agree with their children being transported to our hospital which is located far from their home, (2) all patients were treated together in the same isolated room of the pediatric ward, nevertheless this led to improvement of depressed mood in patients and their parents by encouraging each other. (3) Two out of 94 patients hospitalized by other illness complained of anxiety about nosocomital infection of Escherichia coli O157 : H7. We conclude that treatment of HUS caused by Escherichia coli O157 : H7 infection in the pediatric ward did not cause apparent psychological problems in the admitted patients and their guardians when the perfect prevention of secondary infection was provided.
