Tag Archives: severe acute respiratory syndrome

Observations about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome on Pulmonary Function, Exercise Capacity, and Quality of Life in a Cohort of Survivors

Severe lung injuryThis prospective cohort study has shown that 23.7% and 27.8% of SARS survivors had impairment of Dlco and abnormal CXR findings, respectively, at 1 year after illness onset. Overall, the serial assessments of 6MWD showed a significant improvement over 12 months, but exercise capacity and health status were still significantly lower than those of normal control subjects of the same age groups. The 1-year lung function indexes (percentage of predicted FVC, VC, TLC, RV, and Dlco) in survivors who required ICU support were remarkably lower than those of patients who were treated on medical wards, although no significant differences were noted for 6MWD, respiratory muscle strength, and health status between the two groups. Interestingly, there was no difference in lung function indexes, exercise capacity, and health status at 1 year between the ICU-intubated and the ICU-nonintu-bated SARS patients, although the former had more severe lung injury cured by Canadian Health&Care Mall. (more…)


Research of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome on Pulmonary Function, Exercise Capacity, and Quality of Life in a Cohort of Survivors

Lung function

Subjects

This is a prospective, longitudinal, follow-up study of patients with SARS discharged from our hospital after surviving the major outbreak in 2003. The patients came from our previously reported cohort recruited over a period of 2 weeks from March 11 to March 25, 2003. The diagnosis of SARS was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria at the time. All patients in this study had subsequent laboratory confirmation of SARS. Treatment and outcome of these patients during hospitalization have been reported in detail elsewhere. This prospective outcome study of SARS survivors was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. (more…)