Why did outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome occur in some hospital wards but not in others?

Clinical Infectious Diseases

Volumn 44, Issue 8, 2007, Pages 1017-1025

  Yu, Ignatius T ^a   Zhan, Hong Xie ^b   Tsoi, Kelvin K ^a   Yuk, Lan Chiu ^a   Siu, Wai Lok ^a   Xiao, Ping Tang ^c   Hui, David S ^a   Lee, Nelson ^a   Yi, Min Li ^b   Zhi, Tong Huang ^d   Liu, Tao ^e   Tze, Wai Wong ^a   Nan, Shan Zhong ^b   Sung, Joseph J ^a  

^a CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG   (Hong Kong)

^b GUANGZHOU MEDICAL UNIVERSITY   (China)

^c Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital   (China)

^d SUN YAT SEN UNIVERSITY   (China)

^e GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE   (China)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; ASSISTED VENTILATION; CASE CONTROL STUDY; CHINA; CONTROLLED STUDY; EPIDEMIC; HAND WASHING; HONG KONG; HOSPITAL INFECTION; HUMAN; INFECTION RISK; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MEDICAL RECORD; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RESUSCITATION; RISK ASSESSMENT; RISK FACTOR; SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME; WARD; AIR CONDITIONING; CROSS INFECTION; HOSPITAL SUBDIVISIONS AND COMPONENTS; INFECTION CONTROL; PATIENT CARE;

CASE-CONTROL STUDIES; CHINA; CROSS INFECTION; DISEASE OUTBREAKS; HOSPITAL UNITS; HUMANS; INFECTION CONTROL; PATIENT ISOLATION; RISK FACTORS; SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME; VENTILATION;

EID: 33947541796     PISSN: 10584838     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1086/512819     Document Type: Article

References (32)

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Update: outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome: worldwide, 2003. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2003;52:241-6, 248.
2. World Health Organization. Summary of probable SARS cases with onset of illness from 1 November 2002 to 31 July 2003. Revised 26 September 2003. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/sars/country/table2003_09_23/en/. Accessed 22 June 2006.
3. Li Y, Yu ITS, Xu PC, et al. Predicting super spreading events during the 2003 SARS epidemics in Hong Kong and Singapore. Am J Epidemiol 2004; 160:719-28.
4. Yu ITS, Li Y, Wong TW, et al. Evidence of airborne transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus. N Engl J Med 2004; 350:1731-9.
5. World Health Organization. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-multi-country outbreak: update 30: status of diagnostic test, significance of "super spreaders," situation in China. 15 April 2003. Available at: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003_04_15/en/. Accessed 22 June 2006.
6. Shen Z, Ning F, Zhou W, et al. Superspreading SARS events, Beijing, 2003. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10:256-60.
7. Seto WH, Tsang D, Yung RW, et al. Effectiveness of precautions against droplets and contact in prevention of nosocomial transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Lancet 2003; 361:1519-20.
8. Loeb M, McGeer A, Henry B, et al. SARS among critical care nurses, Toronto. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10:251-5.
9. Lau JT, Fung KS, Wong TW, et al. SARS transmission among hospital workers in Hong Kong. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10:280-6.
10. Teleman MD, Boudville IC, Heng BH, Zhu D, Leo YS. Factors associated with transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome among health-care workers in Singapore. Epidemiol Infect 2004; 132:797-803.
11. Wong TW, Lee CK, Tam W, et al. Cluster of SARS among medical students exposed to single patient, Hong Kong. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10:269-76.
12. Yu IT, Wong TW, Chiu YL, Lee N, Li Y. Temporal-spatial analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome among hospital inpatients. Clin Infect Dis 2005; 40:1237-43.
13. Lee N, Hui D, Wu A, et al. A major outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong. N Engl J Med 2003; 348:1986-94.
14. Tomlinson B, Cockram C. SARS: experience at Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong. Lancet 2003; 361:1486-7.
15. Anderson RM, Fraser C, Ghani AC, et al. Epidemiology, transmission dynamics and control of SARS: the 2002-2003 epidemic. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2004; 359:1091-105.
16. Ha LD, Bloom SA, Hien NQ, et al. Lack of SARS transmission among public hospital workers, Vietnam. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10:265-8.
17. Chan-Yeung M. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and healthcare workers. Int J Occup Environ Health 2004; 10:421-7.
18. Ho PL, Tang XP, Seto WH. SARS: hospital infection control and admission strategies. Respirology 2003; 8:S41-5.
19. Yu IT, Sung JJ. The epidemiology of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong: what we do know and what we don't. Epidemiol Infect 2004; 132:781-6.
20. Somogyi R, Vesely AE, Azami T, et al. Dispersal of respiratory droplets with open vs. closed oxygen delivery masks: implications for the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Chest 2004; 125:1155-7.
21. Riley S, Fraser C, Donnelly CA, et al. Transmission dynamics of the etiological agent of SARS in Hong Kong: impact of public health interventions. Science 2003; 300:1961-6.
22. Hon KLE, Leung CW, Cheng WTF, et al. Clinical presentations and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome in children. Lancet 2003; 361:1701-3.
23. Bitnun A, Allen U, Heurter H, et al. Children hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome-related illness in Toronto. Pediatrics 2003; 112:e261.
24. Cars O. Colonisation and infection with resistant gram-positive cocci. Epidemiology and risk factors. Drugs 1997; 54(Suppl 6):4-10.
25. Harbarth S, Sudre P, Dharan S, Cadenas M, Pittet D. Outbreak of Enterobacter cloacae related to understaffing, overcrowding, and poor hygiene practices. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1999; 20:598-603.
26. Andersen BM, Lindemann R, Bergh K, et al. Spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a neonatal intensive unit associated with understaffing, overcrowding and mixing of patients. J Hosp Infect 2002; 50:18-24.
27. Aujard Y, Fauroux B. Risk factors for severe respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants. Respir Med 2002; 96(Suppl 2):S9-14.
28. Peiris JS, Lai ST, Poon LL, et al. Coronavirus as a possible cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Lancet 2003; 361:1319-25.
29. Hui DS, Ip M, Tang JW, et al. Airflows around oxygen masks: a potential source of infection. Chest 2006; 130:822-6.
30. Thorne CD, Khozin S, McDiarmid MA. Using the hierarchy of control technologies to improve healthcare facility infection control: lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome. J Occup Environ Med 2004; 46:613-22.
31. Hung IFN, Cheng VCC, Wu AKL, et al. Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations. Emerg Infect Dis 2004; 10:1550-7.
32. Chu CM, Poon LL, Cheng VC, et al. Initial viral load and the outcomes of SARS. CMAJ 2004; 171:1349-52.