International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 31-38, March 2009

Mortality Factor Survey of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Taiwan

  • Tei-Chu Liu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Nursing, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Graduate Institute of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wen-Han Chang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Bing-Cheng Jiang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital of Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Suh-Hwa Maa

      Affiliations

    • Department of Graduate Institute of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ding-Kuo Chien

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Department of Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Woung-Ru Tang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Graduate Institute of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Woung-Ru Tang, Graduate Institute of Nursing, Chang Gung University, 259, Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

Accepted 14 February 2009.

Article Outline

SUMMARY 

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new respiratory tract infectious disease caused by the highly contagious coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Its propagation and symptom progress are very rapid. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, laboratory results and mortality factors of probable SARS cases.

Methods

This study was adopted with a retrospective research design to study probable SARS cases from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou and Kaoshiung from August 2003 to February 2004, with a total of 78 cases (average age, 44 years; standard deviation, 18 years; age range, 13–84 years) including 24 males (30.8%) and 54 females (69.2%).

Results

Most of the 78 cases involved nosocomial infection (56.4%). A total of 24 patients died, and the mortality rate was as high as 30.8%. Logistic regression analysis found that intubation (odds ratio, 115; p < 0.001) was the mortality forecast factor.

Conclusion

The mortality rate of intubation patients was 115 times higher than that of those who did not require intubation. Therefore, special care must be taken with SARS disease with severe infiltration chest X-ray images and respiratory distress. Positive medical treatment should be performed to lower the mortality rate.

Key Words:  clinical characteristic , mortality factor , severe acute respiratory syndrome

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PII: S1873-9598(09)70018-3

doi:10.1016/S1873-9598(09)70018-3

International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 31-38, March 2009

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