- Fall 2003 -

AARC SARS Guidance Document

While the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) scare that rocked the world's health care facilities last spring and summer has now abated, many health officials believe the disease could resurface at any time. Respiratory therapists, as well as other allied health professionals, are naturally concerned for their patients, their coworkers and themselves. Will you be ready if SARS does make a comeback?

The American Association for Respitory Care (AARC) is helping to ensure a positive response to that question. The Association has just published a new SARS guidance document on the SARS homepage, www.aarc.org/resources/sars/aarc_sars_b.html.

The document provides a broad overview of the illness's history, along with information aimed at helping respitory therapists (RTs) deliver state-of-the-art care to patients in case of an outbreak, techniques designed to minimize the spread of the disease and methods to reduce the transmission of SARS to health care personnel.

"The AARC document was developed to provide RTs with comprehensive information about SARS in one easy-to-use format," says AARC Director of Education and Management Bill Dubbs, MHA, MEd, FAARC. "If the disease does make a comeback, RTs can quickly find the basic information they'll need to protect themselves from exposure while maintaining quality care for their patients."

For now the AARC is keeping a close eye on SARS developments and is committed to keeping its members fully informed as more becomes known about this deadly disease and how it spreads. AARC's SARS Web page can be found at www.aarc.org/# resources/sars.