Decision No. 903/2003/QD-BYT dated March 21, 2003 of the Ministry of Health supplementing and amending Section g, Part II of the "provisional guidance for the handling of severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars)", issued together with the Health Minister's Decision No. 888/2003/QD-BYT dated March 19, 2003

DECISION

SUPPLEMENTING AND AMENDING SECTION G, PART II OF THE "PROVISIONAL GUIDANCE FOR THE HANDLING OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS)", ISSUED TOGETHER WITH THE HEALTH MINISTER'S DECISION NO. 888/2003/QD-BYT OF MARCH 19, 2003

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 68/CP of October 11, 1993 defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational apparatus of the Ministry of Health;

Considering the minutes of the March 21, 2003 meeting to gather comments of consultants in the field of contagion and epidemiology;

At the proposal of the director of the Therapy Department, the Ministry of Health,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To amend and supplement Section G, Part II of the "Provisional Guidance for the Handling of SARS," issued together with Decision No. 888/2003/QD-BYT of March 19, 2003, as follows:

1. Patients may be discharged from hospitals when they meet the following conditions:

- They have stopped running a temperature for at least 5 days without using febrifuge;

- Their life functions have become normal, they are in good physical conditions, eat and sleep as usual;

- The tested blood formula has become normal;

- Lung X-ray: Lung lesion has been stabilized or improved for over 48 hours after the patients have stopped running a temperature;

- Blood-air measuring: SpO2: over 90%, PaO2: over 60 mmHg (if conditions permit).

2. To move the patients to other isolated zones. The isolated zones must have adequate conditions for monitoring, treating and caring for the patients. After a week, if the patients remain in stable conditions, they shall be discharged.

3. After being discharged, the patients must come back to hospitals for re-examinations and lung X-ray once a week until the lung X-ray shows normal conditions.

4. After being discharged, if there appear any abnormal signs, the patients must come to hospitals for re-examination.

Article 2.- This Decision takes effect after its signing for promulgation and replaces Section G "Criteria to discharge patients" prescribed in the "Provisional Guidance for the Handling of SARS", promulgated together with Decision No. 888/2003/QD-BYT of March 19, 2003.

Article 3.- The director of the Office, the director of the Therapy Department of the Ministry of Health, the manager of Bach Mai Hospital, the director of the Institute for Clinical Research in Tropical Medicine, the heads of the Ministry-attached hospitals and institutes with patient beds, the directors of the Health Services of the provinces and centrally-run cities, and the heads of the branch health organizations shall have to implement this Decision.