Objective: To investigate the clinical features of recurrence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and therapeutic response.
Methods: Recurrence was analyzed retrospectively in SARS patients referred to our hospital from April to May this year to understand the clinical features, the recurrent related factors, the response of treatment and the outcomes.
Results: One hundred and twenty three patients with SARS were referred to the First Hospital of Peking University from 8, April to 14, May this year and of whom 51 were the critical. Twenty-five patients experienced recurrence, account for 20.3% of total patients (25/123) and 31.4% of critical patients. The clinical features included recurrent fever, worsened breathlessness, exacerbation in radiological lesions and elevated LDH, etc.. These patients were treated with glucocorticoids. Eleven of them were mechanical ventilated. Twenty-one patients recovered. Pulmonary fibrosis were left in 2 patients and another 2 patients died.
Conclusion: The recurrence of symptoms in SARS patients is one of the common clinical feature of critical patients with SARS. Mechanism of recurrence in SARS patient is unknown. Management with glucocorticoids and noninvasive ventilation can control the progression in these patients effectively.