London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Greenwich 1964

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]

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188
CHEST CLINIC REPORT
I am indebted to Drs. P. Forgacs and D. G. Wraith, Chest
Physicians at the Greenwich Chest Clinic, for the following Report
on Tuberculosis in the Borough.

Thirty new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were notified during the year in the undermentioned age groups:—

MalesYearsFemales
11-201
121-303
231-403
441-501
751-60
661-70
271-80

It is of interest to note that these figures for new cases have
remained more or less static in the last few years although
previously there was a gradual decrease.
Eleven cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis were notified, five
women (2 neck glands, 2 spine and 1 hip) and five men (1 spine,
1 kidney, 1 ankle, 1 glands and 1 sacro-iliac joint) and one boy
aged 9 (left hip).
In addition to these new cases it is of interest and justifies the
follow-up supervision of old standing cases of tuberculosis, that we
have found a relapse of tuberculosis infection in 6 patients who
were treated before the time when antituberculous drugs were used.
For this reason we consider it important to follow up the oldstanding
cases with X-rays and sputum tests at least at annual
intervals. There are still a total of 1,147 patients who have had
tuberculosis in the past who are still being followed up.
One hundred and two ante-natal patients have been X-rayed,
two were found to have tuberculous disease. One hundred and
ninety-one contacts of tuberculous patients were X-rayed but evidence
of infection was only found in one patient. One hundred and
twenty-three children and young adults were given B.C.G. inoculation
because they were contacts of cases with tuberculosis. Fiftyone
positive Mantoux children were referred to us from school
because they were found to have positive tuberculin tests but none
was found to have active tuberculous disease.
The total number of attendances at the Chest Clinic for both
tuberculous and non-tuberculous chest conditions was 8,339 and
the total number of chest X-rays taken was 6,082 during the course
of the year.