Severe acute respiratory syndrome in a hemodialysis patient.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly infective disease caused by a newly identified coronavirus. We described the clinical course of the first long-term hemodialysis patient who developed SARS in the literature, and our experience in performing hemodialysis for this patient. Such patients may present with a less typical clinical picture, making diagnosis difficult. In this patient, the course of disease and duration of viral shedding was apparently prolonged, thus highlighting the need for increased infection control. Despite worsening the anemia in renal failure patients by causing hemolysis, ribavirin is well tolerated after dosage adjustment. Difficulties of diagnosis, infection control, and treatment of SARS in renal failure patients are discussed in this report.
Kwan
Bonnie Ching-Ha
BC
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
Leung
Chi-Bon
CB
Szeto
Cheuk-Chun
CC
Wang
Angela Yee-Moon
AY
Li
Philip Kam-Tao
PK
D000328:Adult; D015314:Dialysis Solutions; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000379:methods; D010356:Patient Isolation; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
D015314:Dialysis Solutions; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal