A treatment regimen for SARS in Guangzhou, China

Extracted & modified from Zhao Z, et al. J Med Microbiol 2003; 52: 715-20

Levofloxacin 200 mg twice daily plus azithromycin 600 mg daily intravenously.

Recombinant interferon α 3.000.000 U daily intramuscularly (for 75% of their cases).

If patients failed to respond (continuing high fever), with pulmonary infiltrates involving more than one pulmonary segment, or an expanding area of consolidation was observed, they were treated with high-dose methylprednisolone for 5-14 days (1601000 mg daily depending on symptoms and X-ray results: 160 mg daily if one lobe was involved; 320 mg daily if >1 lobe; 25% needed an increase in dosage from 160 to 320-720 mg daily to maintain respiratory physiological parameters and to control temperature).

Oxygen 3-5 L per min was given by mask if SaO2 <95% or, if patients felt short of breath, non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation was used.

If CPAP failed (SaO2 <90%), mechanical ventilation was used.

Immunoglobulins, thymic peptides or recombinant human thymus proteins were given to some critically ill patients.