PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - K-C. Ong
AU  - A.W-K. Ng
AU  - L.S-U. Lee
AU  - G. Kaw
AU  - S-K. Kwek
AU  - M.K-S. Leow
AU  - A. Earnest
TI  - Pulmonary function and exercise capacity in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.04.00007104
DP  - 2004 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 436--442
VI  - 24
IP  - 3
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/24/3/436.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/24/3/436.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2004 Sep 01; 24
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate pulmonary function and exercise capacity in a group of survivors of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). At 3 months after hospital discharge, 46 survivors of SARS underwent the following evaluation: spirometry, static lung volumes and carbon monoxide transfer factor (TL,CO). In total, 44 of these patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing. No abnormalities were detected in the pulmonary function tests in 23 (50%) of the patients. Abnormalities of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC and TL,CO were detected in seven (15%), 12 (26%), one (2%) and 18 (39%) patients, respectively. All of these abnormalities were mild except in one case. In 18 patients (41%), the maximum aerobic capacity was below the lower limit of the normal range. Breathing reserve was low in four patients and significant oxygen desaturation was detected in a further four patients. Comparison of the measured exercise capacity with resting pulmonary function tests showed many cases of discordance in impairment. In conclusion, pulmonary function defects were detected in half of the recovered severe acute respiratory syndrome patients 3 months after hospital discharge, but the impairment was mild in almost all cases. Many patients had reduced exercise capacity that cannot be accounted for by impairment of pulmonary function. This study was supported by a grant from the A*STAR Biomedical Research Council.