Severe acute respiratory syndrome from the trenches, at a Singapore university hospital

Abstract

The epidemiology and virology of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have been written about many times and several guidelines on the infection control and public health measures believed necessary to control the spread of the virus have been published. However, there have been few reports of the problems that infectious disease clinicians encounter when dealing with the protean manifestations of this pathogen. This is a qualitative account of some of the issues faced by an infectious disease physician when identifying and treating patients with SARS as well as protecting other healthcare workers and patients, including: identification of the chain of contagion, early recognition of the disease in the absence of a reliable and rapid diagnostic test, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, and the use of isolation to prevent super-spreading events. Many issues need to be addressed if clinicians are to be able to manage the virus should it reappear.

Figure 1

Chest radiograph on initial presentation (A) and after 8 days (B).

Figure 2

Cases of SARS with the introduction of various preventative measures at the NUH in Singapore. ICU=intensive-care unit; PPE=personal protective equipment.