title: Clinical features of probable severe acute respiratory syndrome in Beijing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize clinical features of probable severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cases involving 801 patients admitted to hospitals in Beijing between March and June 2003, with a diagnosis of probable SARS, moderate type. The series of clinical manifestation, laboratory and radiograph data obtained from 801 cases were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One to three days after the onset of SARS, the major clinical symptoms were fever (in 88.14% of patients), fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia (25-36%), etc. The counts of WBC (in 22.56% of patients) lymphocyte (70.25%) and CD3, CD4, CD8 positive T cells (70%) decreased. From 4-7 d, the unspecific symptoms became weak; however, the rates of low respiratory tract symptoms, such as cough (24.18%), sputum production (14.26%), chest distress (21.04%) and shortness of breath (9.23%) increased, so did the abnormal rates on chest radiograph or CT. The low counts of WBC, lymphocyte and CD3, CD4, CD8 positive T cells touched bottom. From 8 to 16 d, the patients presented progressive cough (29.96%), sputum production (13.09%), chest distress (29.96%) and shortness of breath (35.34%). All patients had infiltrates on chest radiograph or CT, some even with multi-infiltrates. Two weeks later, patients' respiratory symptoms started to alleviate, the infiltrates on the lung began to absorb gradually, the counts of WBC, lymphocyte and CD3, CD4, CD8 positive T cells were restored to normality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data reported here provide evidence that the course of SARS could be divided into four stages, namely the initial stage, progressive stage, fastigium and convalescent stage.
authors.affiliation: Beijing TongRen Hospital, 2 ChongNei Street, DongCheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xiao-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Yang-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Bo-Wen
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Gao-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: De-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen