Clinical characteristics of the severe acute respiratory syndrome in Guangzhou
- VernacularTitle:广州地区严重急性呼吸道综合征的临床特点
- Author:
Jie PENG
;
Jinlin HOU
;
Yabing GUO
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Severe acute respiratory syndrome;
Pneumonia;
Communicable
- From:
Chinese Journal of Infectious Diseases
2000;0(02):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the information on the clinical features of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) prevalent recently. Methods We collected and analyzed clinical date from the 85 inpatients suffered from SARS in Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou. Results The patients ranged from 4 to 87 years old (mean age 38.2?16.7 years). The incubation period ranged form 2 to 16 days (mean periods 7.4? 3.8 days). The most common symptoms included fever (in 97.8 percent of the patients), cough (81.2%), malaise (74.1%), headache (63.5%), myalgia (41.2%). Peripheral vein blood test showed normal leukocytes and leukopenia in 82.4 percent of the patients. Other common findings were lymphopenia (in 27.1 percent of the patients), elevated alanine aminotransferase (44.7%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase (57.6%), elevated lactase dehydrogenase (49.4%) and elevated creatinine kinase (20.0%). Chest radiographs predominately showed air-space shadowing, such as ground-glass opacities, focal consolidation or patchy consolidation. The air-space shadowing was mostly in the lower lung zones (in 88.3 percent of the patients, bilateral and unilateral for 51.8% and 36.5% respectively). The mean period of complete resolution of the air-space shadowing was 20.3?8.4 days and 13.1?6.9 days after onset of illness and absent fever respectively. Empirical therapy most commonly included ribavirin, antibiotics. Conclusions SARS appears to be infectious. Fever followed by rapidly progressive respiratory compromise is the key complex of signs and symptoms from which the syndrome derives its name.
