Volume 10, Number 7—July 2004
Research
Collecting Data To Assess SARS Interventions
, Edward W. Gregg*, and Martin I. Meltzer*
Table A2
Explanation of data in Figure 2
| Column | Priority group | Variable | Type | Suggested coding | Comments/details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information | |||||
| A |
1 |
Patient ID |
Continuous |
1, 2, 3, …n |
|
| Case status/criteria | |||||
| Ub | 1 | Clinical case criteria | Categories | 1 = asymptomatic/mild respiratory illness; 2 = moderate illness; 3 = severe respiratory illness; 4 = none | See definitions in footnotea |
| Vc | 1 | Epidemiologic criteria | Categories | 1 = travel within 10 days to infected area; 2 = close contact; 3 = both; 4=none | Record all that apply See definitions in footnotea Define close contact (e.g., within 1 min for X amount of time) |
| Wd | 1 | Laboratory confirmed | Categories | 1 = yes; 2 = no; 3 = undetermined | See definitions in footnotea |
| Xe |
1 |
Case classification |
Categories |
1 = probable; 2 = suspected; 3 = noncase |
Classify using data from rows S, T, U |
| Outcome information | |||||
| Y | 2 | Hospitalization | Categories | 1 = hospitalization; 2 = no hospitalization | |
| Z | 2 | Hospitalization date | Date | DD/MM/YY | |
| AA | 3 | Treatment status | Categories | 1 = antiviral agent; 2 = antimicrobial agent; 3 = other (describe) | Suggestions/ recommendations? Particular interest is in nonhospitalized case-patients |
| AB | 2 | Isolation start date | Date | DD/MM/YY (or 0 = not in isolation) | Date on which patient was put into isolation for infection control purposes so as to prevent transmission |
| AC | 2 | No. of days isolated | Continuous | 0,1,2,3,…..n | |
| AD | 3 | No. of days on ventilation | Continuous | 0,1,2,3,…..n | |
| AE | 3 | No. of days in intensive care | Continuous | 0,1,2,3,…..n | |
| AF | 3 | Discharge date | Date | Date; 0 if still in hospital | |
| AG | 2 | Death | Categories | 1 = dead; 2 = alive | |
| AH | 2 | Date of death | Date | DD/MM/YY | |
aAll categorical definitions for coexisting conditions and symptoms are illustrative and do not imply any order or ranking.
bClinical criteria - illustrative classification criteria: 1) Asymptomatic or mild respiratory illness; 2) Moderate respiratory illness: temperature of >100.4°F (>38°C), and >1 clinical findings of respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or hypoxia); 3) Severe respiratory illness: temperature of >100.4°F (>38°C), and >1 clinical findings of respiratory illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or hypoxia), and radiographic evidence of pneumonia, or respiratory distress syndrome, or autopsy findings consistent with pneumonia or respiratory distress syndrome without an identifiable cause.
cEpidemiologic criteria-illustrative classification criteria: travel (including transit in an airport) within 10 days of onset of symptoms to an area with current or recently documented or suspected community transmission of SARS; or close contact (e.g., having cared for or lived with a person known to have SARS or having a high likelihood of direct contact with respiratory secretions and/or body fluids of a patient known to have SARS, including close conversation [<3 feet]) within 10 days of onset of symptoms with a person known or suspected to have SARS infection.
dLaboratory criteria-illustrative classification criteria: 1) Yes = confirmed: Detection of antibody to SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in a serum sample; or detection of SARS-CoV RNA by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed by a second PCR assay, by using a second aliquot of the specimen and a different set of PCR primers, or isolation of SARS-CoV; 2) No = negative: absence of antibody to SARS-CoV in convalescent-phase serum obtained >28 days after symptom onset; 3) Undetermined = laboratory testing either not performed or incomplete.
eCase classification-illustrative classification: 1) Probable case: meets the clinical criteria for severe respiratory illness of unknown cause and epidemiologic criteria for exposure; laboratory criteria confirmed or undetermined; 2) Suspected case: meets the clinical criteria for moderate respiratory illness of unknown cause, and epidemiologic criteria for exposure; laboratory criteria confirmed or undetermined. The illustrative criteria and classifications used here are based on CDC Updated interim U.S. case definition for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/casedefinition.htm).