Overview

Diagnosis of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Blood tests can help determine if your body has produced antibodies to a hantavirus. Your healthcare provider may also order additional laboratory tests to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms.

Early and accurate diagnosis is important for timely management and improving outcomes.

Treatment of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Specific treatments for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are limited, but early recognition, hospitalization, and supportive care can improve prognosis.

Supportive Therapy

  • Severe cases require immediate care in an intensive care unit (ICU)

  • Intubation and mechanical ventilation may be necessary to support breathing and manage lung fluid

  • Intubation involves placing a tube into the windpipe to maintain open and functioning airways

Blood Oxygenation

  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be used in severe cases

  • ECMO pumps blood through a machine that removes carbon dioxide and adds oxygen, then returns oxygenated blood to the body

  • This treatment ensures sufficient oxygen supply while the lungs recover

Prompt supportive care is critical to improving outcomes in people affected by hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

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