Table 1.
Risk factors associated with development of ARDS requiring ventilatory support and intensive care
| ARDS (n=15) | No ARDS (n=60) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 48.5 (12.6) | 37.3 (11.3) | 0.002 |
| Male/female ratio | 11/4 | 25/35 | 0.042 |
| Underlying illnesses | 9 (60%)* | 4 (7%) | <0.001† |
| Chronic hepatitis B virus infection | 6 (40%) | 3 (5%) | 0.001 |
| Mean (SD) duration of symptoms to admission (days) | 2.6 (1.1) | 2.38 (1.2) | 0.51 |
| Mean (SD) initial haemoglobin concentration (g/L) | 135 (21) | 134 (12) | 0.79 |
| Mean (SD) initial total peripheral white blood cell count (.109/L) | 7.1 (2.1) | 6.1 (2.1) | 0.09 |
| Mean (SD) initial lymphocyte count (.109/L) | 1.1 (0.9) | 0.9 (0.4) | 0.19 |
| Mean (SD) initial platelet count (.109/L) | 163 (56) | 167 (41) | 0.77 |
| Mean (SD) initial creatinine (μmol/L) | 94.5 (11.1) | 86.1 (14.6) | 0.004 |
| Mean (SD) initial ALT (U/L) | 47.8 (27.5) | 35.9 (45.2) | 0.33 |
| Mean (SD) initial CPK | 327.1 (367.7) | 161.5 (125.9) | 0.11 |
| Mean (SD) initial LDH | 482.6 (242.9) | 384.8 (119.8) | 0.25 |
| NPA RT-PCR positive at diagnosis | 5 (33%) | 19 (31.7%) | 0.77 |
| Mean (SD) day of antibody seroconversion after onset of symptoms | 20.0 (5.5) | 19.9 (4.9) | 0.94 |
| Apparently normal chest radiograph on admission‡ | 4 (27%) | 18 (30%) | 1.0 |
| Multilobar involvement on chest radiograph on admission | 5 (33%) | 11 (18%) | 0.29 |
| Diarrhoea | 12 (80%) | 43 (72%) | 0.75 |
| Recurrent fever | 13 (87%) | 41 (68%) | 0.21 |
ALT=alanine aminotransferase. CPK=creatinine phosphokinase. LDH=lactic dehydrogenase. NPA=nasopharyngeal aspirate.
*
Three patients had chronic active hepatitis B, one had uterine fibroid.
†
SARS established by clinical features plus high-resolution CT findings.
‡
Six patients had chronic active hepatitis B infection, one had carcinoma of ovary, one had diabetes mellitus, and one had asthma.