[Clinical features and management of recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical features of recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and therapeutic response.


METHODS
Recurrence was analyzed retrospectively in SARS patients referred to our hospital from April to May this year to understand the clinical features, the recurrent related factors, the response of treatment and the outcomes.


RESULTS
One hundred and twenty three patients with SARS were referred to the First Hospital of Peking University from 8, April to 14, May this year and of whom 51 were the critical. Twenty-five patients experienced recurrence, account for 20.3% of total patients (25/123) and 31.4% of critical patients. The clinical features included recurrent fever, worsened breathlessness, exacerbation in radiological lesions and elevated LDH, etc.. These patients were treated with glucocorticoids. Eleven of them were mechanical ventilated. Twenty-one patients recovered. Pulmonary fibrosis were left in 2 patients and another 2 patients died.


CONCLUSIONS
The recurrence of symptoms in SARS patients is one of the common clinical feature of critical patients with SARS. Mechanism of recurrence in SARS patient is unknown. Management with glucocorticoids and noninvasive ventilation can control the progression in these patients effectively.
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China. nieligong@yahoo.com.cn
Ligong
L
Nie
Haichao
H
Li
Chengli
C
Que
Guangfa
G
Wang
Jing
J
Ma
Nan
N
Li
Zhidong
Z
Gao
Xiaoyuan
X
Xu
D018450:Disease Progression; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome