[Retrospective analysis on clinical features of 35 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome]

To analyze the clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The clinical features of 35 patients with SARS in the past five months were retrospectively studied, and compared with 35 patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Consecutive blood samples from 13 patients with SARS and 10 healthy volunteers were collected. The CD+4 and CD+8 in T cell in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry.

The most common symptoms included fever (in 100.0 percent of the patients), cough (74.3 percent), headache (45.7 percent), myalgia (45.7 percent) and lymphopenia (20/33). Serial chest radiographs showed progressive multi-infiltration in the lung fields. The CD+4 and CD+8 in T cell in 13 patients with SARS significantly decreased [CD+4: (16.10+/-4.31) percent vs. (38.30+/-8.52) percent, t=8.174,P<0.01; CD+8: (19.90+/-5.40) percent vs. (28.38+/-4.33) percent, t=4.055, P<0.01]. The time of bringing down the fever and the time of absorption of pathological changes in SARS patients were prolonged than those of the pneumonia patients [the time of bringing down the fever (13.92+/-8.35) days vs. (3.86+/-1.42)days, t=16.490,P=0.000;the time of absorption of pathological changes: (11.97+/-4.41) days vs. (9.21+/-4.42) days, t=3.082,P=0.003].

SARS is a serious respiratory illness, the most common symptoms are fever, cough, headache and myalgia, other common findings are lymphopenia, the CD+4 and CD+8 in T cell in peripheral blood decrease and multi-infiltrate through out the lung fields.