London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
West Ham 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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Table 1. History of Cases of Maternal Deaths due to Sepsis.
| Case No. | Para. | Ante-natal supervision. | No ante-natal supervision. | Delivered. | Died. | Abortion. | Labour. | Certified Cause of Death. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital . | Clinic. | Private Doctor | Midwife. | Home. | Hospital. | Home | Hospital. | ||||||
| 1 | 9 | — | — | — | — | + | + | — | — | + | Self-induced abortion | — | Septicaemia: self-induced miscarriage |
| 2 | 8 | — | + | — | — | — | + | — | — | + | Normal: patient had septic finger incised 2 days later | Puerperal Septicaemia Septic endometritis child birth | |
| 3 | 11 | — | — | + | — | — | + | — | — | + | — | Difficult instrument at delivery: phlebitis on 12th day | Puerperal Septicaemia |
| 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | Concealed pregnancy | + | — | — | + | Abortion at 12 weeks | — | Septicaemia and Abortion |
| 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | Patient did not know she was pregnant | + | — | — | + | Abortion due to fall | — | Toxaemia following Abortion |
| 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | + | + | — | — | + | Abortion due to fall Illegitimate | — | Toxaemia after Abortion due to accidental fall downstairs— Inquest |
| 7 | 12 | — | + | — | — | — | + | — | — | + | Foetus died in utero at 6th month labour induced difficult delivery of 6/12 foetus | — | Septic Endometritis miscarriage |
The outstanding feature of the above table is the fact that five out of the seven deaths from puerperal
sepsis resulted after abortion, in one of which, at least, there is a definite history of the condition being
self-induced. In four of the cases of abortion, medical aid was not summoned at the time of the miscarriage,
but at a period varying from two to several days after the onset of the abortion, owing to
persistent haemorrhage due to retention of products in the uterus. Earlier intervention of medical help
might have averted the fatal results.
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