What medical treatment is recommended for patients with SARS?
A. Patients with SARS receive the same treatment that would be used for a patient with any serious community-acquired atypical pneumonia. SARS-CoV is being tested against various antiviral drugs to see if a more specific treatment can be found. People who are ill enough to be hospitalised are being placed in infection control wards. Good supportive health care is all that most people require, with treatment for fever and pains and additional oxygen to make breathing easier. Nurses or doctors caring for them, along with all visitors would wear masks, eye protection, gloves and gowns. This can distress some ill people but it is important to realise that it is just a precaution. Australians being treated overseas would have access to consular assistance and advice from Australian health authorities if required. If you are not sick enough to be in hospital, you may be asked to stay at home for a period of time and avoid contact with others.
CDC currently recommends that patients with SARS receive the same treatment that would be used for any patient with serious community-acquired atypical pneumonia of unknown cause. Several treatment regimens have been used for patients with SARS, but there is insufficient information at this time to determine if they have had a beneficial effect. Reported therapeutic regimens have included antibiotics to presumptively treat known bacterial agents of atypical pneumonia. Therapy also has included antiviral agents such as oseltamivir or ribavirin. Steroids also have been administered orally or intravenously to patients in combination with ribavirin and other antimicrobials.
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