Heat stroke is a medical emergency that usually presents with a fever beyond 40°C and consciousness disturbance. Without rapid recognition and treatment including cooling and vital organ support, fatal outcome is often inevitable, while significant sequelae are the rule in survivors. A global alert of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was announced in March 2003, and it flared up in Taiwan 1 month later. Soon thereafter, febrile patients with temperature above 38°C were regulated to be managed in fever isolation units. Restrictive quarantine greatly slowed down the efficiency of medical management. In this SARS season, greater costs were paid, by both the patient and medical provider, to maintain a previous level of qualified medical services.