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TUBERCULOSIS:
The fall in the notifications of pulmonary tuberculosis (ll6 to 95)
in Fulham continued with very little change during the year, whilst the
r???mber of non-tuberculosis cases remained the same. A significant fall in
the number of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis (36 to 30) occurred during
the year. This year there were no deaths in the non-pulmonary group.
Total Clinic attendance figures are somewhat down mainly due to the moving of
the Chest Clinic and to the discontinuance of the artificial pneumothorax
refill clinics which occurred at the end of 1957.
Greater use has been made of B.C.G. vaccine this year, especially in
the new born, this will assist in the final abolition of T.B. meningitis
particularly in the under 5 age group.
NEW CLINIC ARRANGEMENTS
The prevision for the first time in the 42 years history of the Clinic
of a full size X-Ray Department as an integral part of the Clinic building
will enable all patients to be x-rayed and the wet film to be examined
together with the patient at the first attendance. This routine enables the
Clinic to issue a provisional report to the General Practitioner on the day
when the patient first attends. This improvement of the service is not
yet complete for all Clinic session-showing to the pressure of work on the
single-handed Hospital radiographer, The possible provision of an extra
pair of hands in this Department in the near future would enable an x-ray to
be taken for all new patients attending and re-attendances as well as for the
special General Practitioner referral cases.
There are many instances where a report cannot be given either to the
patient or their medical adviser, but every effort should be made to do this
where possible, particularly where a doubt arises as to the possibility of
bronchial car??? virions?, and this will help to reduce the interval from the
patient's first attendance to the time when the surgery could take place.
Earlier reporting enables the General Practitioner to pursue ether diagnostic
avenues and avoids the unnecessary situation where patients have to make
several attendances before they can be told that nothing abnormal has been
discovered.
CONTACTS
The number of new contacts attending has fallen along with the new
number of notifications but the attendance figures of contacts have
incressed with the greater use of B.C.G. vaccine. As the number of tuberculosis
cases fall so the task of weeding out the remainder and closely following up their
contacts will become more difficult.
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