Changes of pulmonary function in SARS patients during the convalescent period / 中国实用内科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective From the observation of pulmonary function changes in SARS patients during the convalescent period, we aimed to understand if there would be long-term pulmonary function lesions.Methods Pulmonary function tests were performed in 82 SARS patients 3 months after their discharge from hospital (study group) and the abnormal ones were performed pulmonary function tests 6 months after their discharge. The pulmonary function of 28 healthy persons were tesed(control group).Results Pulmonary function tests showed that the mean diffusing capacity of CO(DLCO) was (78.4?17.4)% in study group and (93.8?13.6)% in control group(P35%) in 28 and 11 cases,restrictive defect in 9 and 5 cases.According to the involved areas in chest X-ray during the hospital,the study group were divided into three subgroupsmild,moderate and severe.There was a positive relation between the severity of the disease and the diffusing function lesions 3 months after discharge from hospital.There was no obvious difference in the pulmonary function lesions between the severe patients treated with mechanical ventilation and those not.Conclusion Some of SARS patients have left pulmonary function lesions 3 months and 6 months after their discharge from hospital,which mainly are diffusing capacity abnormality.A few cases have small airway obstruction,residual volume increase and restrictive defect.