1-Year Pulmonary Function and Health Status in Survivors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

The article presents a study that characterizes the long-term pulmonary function and health status in a prospectively identified cohort of patients who survived the severe acute respiratory syndrome. The finding of higher prevalence of dynamic lung volume abnormalities than the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) impairment in the present study, together with the significant improvement in DLCO but not dynamic lung volumes in serial lung function testing of a subset of patients, suggest that DLCO abnormalities can improve with time. In contrast, ventilator abnormalities are more likely to persist in the long term.