title: Rapid creation of a temporary isolation ward for patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To rapidly establish a temporary isolation ward to handle an unexpected sudden outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and to evaluate the implementation of exposure control measures by healthcare workers (HCWs) for SARS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rapid creation of 60 relatively negative pressure isolation rooms for 196 suspected SARS patients transferred from 19 hospitals and daily temperature recordings of 180 volunteer HCWs from 6 medical centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A military hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 196 patients, 34 (17.3%) met the World Health Organization criteria for probable SARS with positive results of serologic testing for SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal or throat swabs for SARS-CoV, or both. Seventy-four patients had suspected SARS based on unprotected exposure to SARS patients; three of them had positive results on RT-PCR but negative serologic results. The remaining 88 patients did not meet the criteria for a probable or suspected SARS diagnosis. Of the 34 patients with probable SARS, 13 were transferred to medical centers to receive mechanical ventilation due to rapid deterioration of chest x-ray results, and three patients died of SARS despite intensive therapy in medical centers. During the study period, one nurse developed probable SARS due to violation of infection control measures, but there was no evidence of cross-transmission to other HCWs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the use of full personal protection equipment, the facility failed to totally prevent exposures of HCWs to SARS but minimized the risk of nosocomial transmission. Better training and improvements in infection control infrastructure may limit the impact of SARS.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Emergency Service, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chang-Phone
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Tsorng-Liu
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Kuang-Huan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Chin-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Jiunn-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chien-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng-Yee
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Moh-Yun
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Lih-Shinn
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wing-Wai
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Wei-Fong
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Jia-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ting-Hsiang
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Fu-Yuan
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chen-Hsen
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D010356:Patient Isolation; D016730:Program Development; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014691:Ventilation