Severe acute respiratory syndrome in a doctor working at the Prince of Wales Hospital

RSM Wong
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is a new disease that is highly contagious and is spreading in the local community and worldwide. This report is of a hospital medical officer with severe acute respiratory syndrome. He presented with sudden onset of fever, chills, myalgia, headache, and dizziness in early March 2003. He developed progressive respiratory symptoms and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates during the second week of his illness. Blood tests showed lymphopenia, mild thrombocytopenia, and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time with normal d-dimer level. His chest condition gradually responded to ribavirin and corticosteroids, and serial chest X-ray showed resolving pulmonary infiltrates. The importance of early diagnosis lies in the potential for early treatment, leading to better response.

Hong Kong Med J 2003;9:202-5

Key words: Pneumonia; Ribavirin; Severe acute respiratory syndrome

This article was published at www.hkmj.org.hk on 17 April 2003.