Combining Clinical and Epidemiologic Features for Early Recognition of SARS

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Jernigan, John A. ; Low, Donald E. ; Helfand, Rita F.
• Description:
  Early recognition and rapid initiation of infection control precautions are currently the most important strategies for controlling severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). No rapid diagnostic tests currently exist that can rule out SARS among patients with febrile respiratory illnesses. Clinical features alone cannot with certainty distinguish SARS from other respiratory illnesses rapidly enough to inform early management decisions. A balanced approach to screening that allows early recognition of SARS without unnecessary isolation of patients with other respiratory illnesses will require clinicians not only to look for suggestive clinical features but also to routinely seek epidemiologic clues suggestive of SARS coronavirus exposure. Key epidemiologic risk factors include 1) exposure to settings where SARS activity is suspected or documented, or 2) in the absence of such exposure, epidemiologic linkage to other persons with pneumonia (i.e., pneumonia clusters), or 3) exposure to healthcare settings. When combined with clinical findings, these epidemiologic features provide a possible strategic framework for early recognition of SARS.
• Subjects:
  Cluster Analysis Communication Diagnosis, Differential Disease Outbreaks Epidemiologic Factors Humans Respiratory Tract Infections Risk Factors Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 10(2):327-333.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  2
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:7ef469d7a7e937ebb84cf5f356c43fb3df7d88bdaa5c37a829b0eb62b443fcde
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/7746/cdc_7746_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 86.83 KB ]