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. 2003 Sep;9(9):1064-9.
doi: 10.3201/eid0909.030362.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome: clinical outcome and prognostic correlates

Ping Tim Tsui  1 , Man Leung Kwok, Hon Yuen, Sik To Lai
Affiliations

Severe acute respiratory syndrome: clinical outcome and prognostic correlates

Ping Tim Tsui et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003 Sep.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) poses a major threat to the health of people worldwide. We performed a retrospective case series analysis to assess clinical outcome and identify pretreatment prognostic correlates of SARS, managed under a standardized treatment protocol. We studied 127 male and 196 female patients with a mean age of 41+14 (range 18-83). All patients, except two, received ribavirin and steroid combination therapy. In 115 (36%) patients, the course of disease was limited. Pneumonitis progressed rapidly in the remaining patients. Sixty-seven (21%) patients required intensive care, and 42 (13%) required ventilator support. Advanced age, high admission neutrophil count, and high initial lactate dehydrogenase level were independent correlates of an adverse clinical outcome. SARS-associated coronavirus caused severe illnesses in most patients, despite early treatment with ribavirin and steroid. This study has identified three independent pretreatment prognostic correlates.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relationship between age and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome illness, Hong Kong, 2003.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between neutrophil count and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome illness, Hong Kong, 2003.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relationship between lactate dehydrogenase level (LDH) and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome illness, Hong Kong, 2003
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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