Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a life-threatening disease of unknown etiology that has been described in patients in Asia, North America, and Europe.

As for SARS pathophysiology, the incubation period of SARS is usually 2-7 days but may last up to 10 days. The illness often begins with a prodrome of high fever, sometimes associated with rigors and chills, and accompanied by other symptoms like headache, depression, and myalgias.

Some cases have been reported to show mild respiratory symptoms even from the beginning of the illness’ process. Rash, neurological and gastrointestinal findings are generally not present, although a small number of patients have reported suffering from diarrhea during the febrile prodrome.

After the incubation period, a lower respiratory phase begins which is characterized by the presence of a dry cough and dyspnea, usually accompanied by a progress to hypoxemia. In some cases, the respiratory illness requires intubation and mechanical respiratory assistance. The mortality can be as high as 3-4%.

Causes Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

SARS is caused by a non-human form of coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Experts belive that this coronavirus can be found a few animals species indigenous to China and some parts of SE Asia. The earliest cases of SARS were thought to be from animal handlers who were in direct contact with wild animals like the Chinese ferret badger, racoon dog, and six masked palm civets. These animals do carry some SARS-like virus and it could have jumped from animal to man and further passed on to other humans like wildfire.

Symptoms Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Chest X-rays may be normal during the febrile phase and throughout the whole course of the disease. However, in a large amount of patients, the respiratory phase is shows early focal infiltrates progressing into more generalized, patchy, interstitial infiltrates. Some chest x-rays from patients in the late stages of SARS have also shown areas of consolidation.

At early stages of SARS, the absolute lymphocyte count is decreased. Fifty percent of the patients show presence of leucopenia and thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts, under 150,000 ul) at the peak of the respiratory phase. In this phase there are also findings of high levels of creatine phosphokinase, as high as 3000 IU / L, and hepatic transaminases, about 2-6 times the upper normal limits. Liver, intestinal, and renal functions remain unaffected on patients suffering from SARS.

Treatment Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Treatment actions for SARS include a wide range of antibiotics to treat many known bacterial agents that cause atypical pneumonia. In several locations around the areas affected by the SARS, therapy has also included the use of antiviral agents such as ribavirin, oseltamivir and others. Patients also received steroids in conjunction with ribavirin and other antimicrobial agents. At present, the most efficacious treatment regime to fight SARS, if any, is unknown.

Prevention Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Until we knew more about SARS, we cannot establish true prevention actions against it. Since patients with a prior healthy respiratory system have better prognosis, it may be helpful to take general preventive actions like stopping smoking, avoiding contact and consumption of wild animals.

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