Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Pathophysiology

From the case presented, doctors identified that the patient in question was suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS which is an acronym for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, refers to a potentially fatal viral infectious ailment that spreads rapidly (Kim, 2019). SARS, being a viral ailment is brought about by a virus that scientists refer to as SARS-associated Coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The Coronavirus is known to cause moderate upper-respiratory disease in human beings, but it can lead to gastrointestinal, liver and respiratory ailments in animals as well. Researchers believe that this respiratory disease first originated from animal species before it spread to human beings (Johnson, 2014). The incubation period of this virus dramatically depends on the age of the affected person with the incubation period from the time a person is exposed to the time that they are infected is lower in children and the elderly.

This ailment has varying symptoms that are different from other common respiratory diseases. Scientists have identified that the symptoms of SARS manifest themselves equally regardless of the victim’s age. Regardless, the symptoms in children might be hard to identify as they commonly mimic those of other ailments (Johnson, 2014). The common symptoms of this ailment include high fever that is accompanied by headaches and a general feeling of discomfort as the disease progresses. Patients have reported having a sore throat, Hypoxia, general shortness of breath and body aches (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d). Pneumonia and coughs that resemble those associated with Tuberculosis are also general symptoms of this ailment. The most notable effect of this ailment on the human body is that it leads to general body weakness and results to other secondary illnesses that might have varying effects on a patient’s body. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a fatal ailment and has led to the death of a significant number of the population.

History

The patient in the case presented has had a series of other treatments done owing to the fact that her diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) had not been easily identified. Before being diagnosed with SARS, the patient had earlier on been diagnosed and treated with pneumonia and Tuberculosis. The patient had a series of tests conducted on her after she had complained of symptoms close to those of pneumonia. After returning to the United States from Hong Kong, the patient was hospitalized with pneumonia. Laboratory findings at the time had indicated that the patient was suffering from community-acquired pneumonia. Later on, and as the diagnosis of the patient remained to be elusive, the doctors working her case considered the possibility that she might be suffering from Tuberculosis and effectively, the patient was placed on airborne isolation.

The patient has had no prior surgery before being diagnosed with SARS. The only surgery that the patient went through was after she had already been diagnosed with her current condition. Additionally, the patient has had no S/S or any changes on S/S for that matter. The patient had been taking Ampicillin and intravenous azithromycin as medication for community-acquired pneumonia that she had already been diagnosed with. Other types of medication included Ticarcillin-clavulanate and rifampin that had been added by the doctor to the patient’s antimicrobial regimen. These are the only medications and procedures that the patient in question had gone through before being diagnosed with gestational diabetes in the United States.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). SARS basics fact sheet. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sars/about/fs-sars.html

Johnson, S. (2014). SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-sars#transmission