[The first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Foshan].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the epidemiologic feature, diagnosis and treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).


METHODS
To describe the epidemiologic and clinical features of the first case of SARS in Foshan city, Guangdong province retrospectively, and to review the diagnostic procedure.


RESULTS
This case had the following features: (1) a history of contact with mild cats and eating the animal's meat; (2) high fever (temperature, > 38 degrees C), followed by dry cough, rapid progression to respiratory failure, followed by radiographic evidence of bilateral air-space lesions; (3) no leukocytosis; (4) spread to 4 family members who had had direct contact with this patient; (5) the patient's serum SARS virus IgG was confirmed to be positive; (6) the patient was treated with anti-viral agents, antibiotics and mechanical ventilation and molecular adsorbent re-circulating system (MARS).


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical manifestations of the SARS case, which was highly infectious, met world health organization (WHO) criteria for the diagnosis of SARS. Early initiation of mechanical ventilation and supportive therapy contributed to the good prognosis of this critical case.
Zhou
Li-xin
LX
Intensive Care Unit of The First People's Hospital of Foshan City Guangdong Province, Foshan 528000, China.
Tan
Jia-ju
JJ
Wu
Min
M
Luo
Hong-tao
HT
Yu
Tie-ou
TO
Kang
Ping
P
Fang
Bin
B
Li
Yi-nan
YN
Wen
Wei-biao
WB
Zou
Yi-cheng
YC
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy