title: [Analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Beijing].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic features of 34 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients were admitted to the isolation wards. Their demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiologic characteristics were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients came from a family, and 15 patients were medical staff. The mean age of patients was (33.4 +/- 13.4) years. The latent period varied from 2 to 14 days (median 4 days). The most common symptoms were fever (100%), palpitation (91.7%), myalgia (79.2%), headache (70.8%), diarrhea (73.9%) and cough (58.3%). The mean leucocyte count was (4.6 +/- 1.4) x 10(9)/L, and the mean lymphocyte ratio was 0.27 +/- 0.11. 68.4% of the patients had lymphopenia (absolute lymphocyte count < 1.3 x 10(9)/L). Other common findings included elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and erythrocyte sedimentation (76.2%, 28.6% and 47.8%, respectively), and decreased levels of serum iron and albumin (63.2% and 47.8%, respectively). Thirty-two cases had abnormal chest radiographs. In 2 cases in whom typical lung opacities could not be found on the initial plain chest radiographs, thoracic CT proved to be useful. Postmortem examination of 1 patient revealed marked edema with foci of hemorrhage and hyaline membrane formation in the lungs, hemorrhage necrosis and a obvious decline of cells in lymph glands. In a multivariate analysis (Stata 7.0), the independent predictor of an adverse outcome was advanced age (odds ratio per decade of life, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.63; P = 0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fever, lymphopenia, low serum iron and chest radiograph are helpful to diagnose SARS early; age is the independent predictor of an outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, The 302nd Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100039, China.
authors.forename: Tian-jun
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xian-zhi
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhi-ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Su-chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wen-hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Yong-gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing-min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yuan-li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Wei-min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Yun-hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang-xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Hui-ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron