Ardissino G, Vignati C, Masia C, et al. - The researchers wanted to look at the results of an improved laboratory-surveillance protocol for bloody diarrhea, with the goal of identifying children with Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection early in the course of the disease, in order to identify and manage patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The research (2010-2019) included a referral population of 2.3 million children. Shiga toxin (Stx) genes were screened in stool samples of patients with bloody diarrhea. In total, 4,767 children were screened; 214 (4.5%) were positive for either Stx1 (29.0%) or Stx2 (45.3%) or both Stx1+2 (25.7%); 34 patients (15.9%) developed STEC-HUS (0.71% of bloody diarrheas). STEC-HUS developed in nearly 1% of children with bloody diarrhea, and its diagnosis was predicted by the Stx screening programme. Screening for Stx in patients with bloody diarrhoea is recommended, as is monitoring patients with Stx2 with a urine dipstick for hemoglobinuria to identify the renal complication as early as possible.