SARS Triage Procedure for Physicians

Updated July 2, 2003 

Suspect Case:

A person presenting with a history of:

• Fever (documented by a Health Care Professional at over 38 degrees Celsius)

AND

• One or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing

AND

One or more of the following:

• Close contact* with a probable case (a person who has been diagnosed with SARS)
  
• Recent history of travel (within past 10 days) to a WHO reported "affected area" outside of Canada (Taiwan)
  
• Recent travel or visit within 10 days of onset of symptoms to a defined setting that is associated with a cluster of SARS cases (no known defined settings currently)

AND

• No other known cause of their illness

*Close contact means having cared for, lived with or had face to face (within 1 metre) contact with, or having had direct contact with respiratory secretions and /or body fluids of a person with SARS.

Probable Case:

A person meeting the suspect case definition together with severe progressive respiratory illness suggestive of atypical pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome with no known cause.

Comments:

• In addition to fever and respiratory symptoms, SARS may be associated with other symptoms including: headache, myalgia, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhoea.

Persons meeting this criteria should immediately be placed in a room by themselves with the door closed and instructed to wear a surgical mask. Health care workers should wear a mask, preferably N 95 if available or a surgical mask, when they enter the room.

Call an Emergency Department to discuss transfer of the patient for further assessment and diagnosis of suspected SARS. Once arrangements are made, instruct the patient to report to that Emergency without delay.

PLEASE NOTE: The following Emergency Rooms are NOT equipped to further assess suspect or probable cases of SARS:

• Northeast Community Health Centre
• Sturgeon Hospital in St. Albert
• Leduc Hospital in Leduc

Instruct the person to:

• Wear a surgical mask at all times.
• Travel by private vehicle. If not possible, recommend that the person be transported by ambulance. Notify EMS that the person has symptoms of SARS and remind them that infection control precautions are necessary.
• Do NOT wait in the waiting room of the Emergency Department, but identify themselves immediately to the staff person who will be awaiting their arrival at the ambulance entrance of the Emergency Department. 
  

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