Where the SARS Virus Hides

[John]

Where the SARS Virus Hides

Scientists appear to have found the source of the mysterious SARS epidemic, which emerged from China in late 2002 and killed almost 800 people around the world.

http://www.emslive.com/ReadMore.php?id=46

[Ace844]

((Chest. 2006;129:1441-1452.)

© 2006 American College of Chest Physicians

Treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome With Glucosteroids*

The Guangzhou Experience

Rong-chang Chen @ MD; Xiao-ping Tang, MD; Shou-yong Tan, MD; Bi-ling Liang, MD; Zhuo-yue Wan, MD; Ji-qian Fang, PhD and Nanshan Zhong, MD

* From the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College (Drs. Chen and Zhong), Guangzhou; Guangzhou Municipal Hospital of Infective Disease (Dr. Tang), Guangzhou; Guangzhou Chest Hospital (Dr. Tan), Guangzhou; Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhongshan University (Dr. Liang), Guangzhou; Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Dr. Wan), Guangzhou; and Zhongshan University School of Public Health (Dr. Fang), Guangzhou, China.

Correspondence to: Nanshan Zhong MD, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, 151 Yanjiang Rd, Guangzhou, China 510120; e-mail: nanshan@vip.163.com)

Abstract

Study objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety profiles of corticosteroid therapy in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients.

Design: Four hundred one of 1,278 SARS cases treated in Guangzhou China between December 2002 and June 2003 fulfilled the diagnostic criteria issued by the World Health Organization for confirmed identification of SARS. Among them, the diagnosis of critical SARS was defined by criteria of SARS guidelines incorporated with a low oxygenation index (OI) [< 300 mm Hg]. Data of these patients retrieved from a database were retrospectively analyzed by logistic regression and Cox regression for the effect of corticosteroid therapy on death, hospitalization days, and complication presentation.

Results: Among the 401 SARS patients studied, 147 of 249 noncritical patients (59.0%) received corticosteroids (mean daily dose, 105.3 ± 86.1 mg) [± SD], and all survived the disease; 121 of 152 critical patients (79.6%) received corticosteroids at a mean daily dose of 133.5 ± 102.3 mg, and 25 died. Analysis of these 401 confirmed cases did not show any benefits of corticosteroid on the death rate and hospitalization days. However, when focused on 152 critical SARS cases, factors correlated with these end points indicated by univariate analysis included use of corticosteroid, age, rigor at onset, secondary respiratory infections, pulmonary rales, grading of OI, and use of invasive ventilation. After adjustment for possible confounders, treatment with corticosteroid was shown contributing to lower overall mortality, instant mortality, and shorter hospitalization stay (p < 0.05). Incidence of complications was significantly associated with the need for invasive ventilation but not with use of corticosteroids.

Conclusion: This Guangzhou retrospective study revealed that proper use of corticosteroid in confirmed critical SARS resulted in lowered mortality and shorter hospitalization stay, and was not associated with significant secondary lower respiratory infection and other complications.