Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome: recognition and emergency department management

Hantavirus infection with respiratory involvement is a new clinical entity. The respiratory and cardiovascular abnormalities associated with hantavirus infection define the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). We present two cases of HPS and discuss the presentation, epidemiology, emergency department management, and differential diagnosis. Treatment of HPS involves intensive care monitoring, airway management, and cardiovascular support. Because human hantavirus infection with respiratory involvement has been recognized recently in all geographic regions of the United States, it is important for emergency physicians to recognize this syndrome's characteristic symptoms and laboratory abnormalities. The fulminant clinical course of HPS and its 65% mortality rate underscore the importance of early recognition if potentially life-saving interventions are to be initiated.