title: Acute lower respiratory tract illness in illicit drug users--South Carolina, 1995.
abstract: On July 31, 1995, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified of a cluster of five patients with acute, severe lower respiratory illnesses among previously healthy residents of a small rural community in Berkeley County (1990 population: 128,776). All five patients were users of illicit drugs. This report summarizes the preliminary findings of an investigation initiated to describe the clinical features and epidemiology of this syndrome and to determine an etiology. Based on information about the five cases obtained from interviews with the patients and reviews of records, a case was defined as an unexplained acute, severe respiratory illness in a previously healthy person aged < 65 years characterized by shortness of breath and/or pleuritic pain with onset of symptoms during July 15-31. One additional case was identified by contacting local physicians, intensive-care units, and pulmonary and infectious disease specialists. No cases of similar acute respiratory illness were noted in household contacts of patients.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D016578:Crack Cocaine