Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2004

SARS-related Psychosocial Problems of Residents at Amoy Gardens The Hong Kong Mood Disorders Centre exami ned the psychosocial impact of SARS on the residents of the Amoy Gardens in a study conducted from June to August 2003. The response of a total of 903 residents were analysed. Nearly 90 per cent of them were affected in terms of social relationship, work and family lives. They perceived u n f a i r t r e a t m e nt or h ad unpleasant experiences in the workplace. The respondents also reported having felt distressed a nd a n x i o us d u r i n g t he epidemic. Symptoms of bad mood, irritability, insomnia, headache and chest discomfort were common. Survey on Public Perceptions of Recovered SARS Patients A survey on ‘Public Perceptions on Recovered SARS Patients' was conducted by the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the School of Public Health on 400 Hong Kong Chinese residents in January 2004. The results, released in late March, found that SARS is seen as highly infectious and transmittable through multiple channels, and associated with high mortality rate, inadequate treatment, and poor long-term health. Medical News New Treatment Better Treatment of Emphysemous Patients E mphysema is a common debilitating condition among chronic smokers characterized by breathlessness. Together with other chronic lower respiratory conditions, it is the fifth leading cause of death in the territory. Prof. Anthony P.C. Yim (left 2), professor of surgery, Prof. David S.C. Hui (right 2), associate professor in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, and recovered patients at the press conference The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery of the Department of Surgery is the first unit in Asia to investigate a new device called the endobronchial valve (EBV), which can be placed through a bronchoscope into the segmental airway leading to the most emphysematous part of the lung. The EBV would allow secretions from the targeted lung segment to escape while preventing air from getting into that segment of the lung. The resultant collapse would be equivalent to lung volume reduction surgery but without the trauma of surgery. So far the cardiothoracic division has performed this procedure on 21 patients with no operative deaths. Post- treatment hospital stay is five to six days, compared to seven to 10 for surgery. It was shown that the majority of patients were able to walk further, and their lung functions made significant improvements. They also felt much better in general. A report of this study has been accepted for publication b y the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. News in Brief 5 3