TOPIC DISCUSSION: Hemolysis and Renal dysfunction

What does one think of when you have hemolysis and Acute renal injury?
The differential diagnosis is usually:- HUS, atypical HUS, TTP( all variants), hemolytic anemia causes such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, autoimmune hemolytic anemia and infectious anemia in malaria or babesiosis.

It is important to think of above causes as hemolysis has been identified. A recent Kidney International case presents Babesiosis as a cause of acute renal dysfunction.
Things to look out for: Elevated indirect bilirubin, LDH elevated, downtrending haptoglobin, peripheral smear showing schistocytes and an elevated reticulocyte count.

Check it out:
Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21878956
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