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37
He arrived by air in the early morning of the 8th August, 1958,
He stayed part of the day with a friend in another Borough and
then was admitted to a hospital in Lambeth with a letter of
introduction to a Specialist for treatment for sinusitis.
On the 12th August the patient was seen by the neurologist
on account of a palatal paralysis and a provisional diagnosis of
diphtheritic paralysis was made.
The patient was isolated, and a swab taken proved positive
to the diphtheria bacillus. Because of his general condition the
patient was not removed to an isolation hospital but was efficiently
barrier nursed in a side ward,
The necessary precautions were taken, as were steps to trace
possible contacts who had left the hospital, and the respective
Medical Officers of Health of the districts to which possible
contacts had gone were notified.
The nursing staff who were immunised against diphtheria on
entry to the hospital were given booster doses of T.A.F. and all
contacts swabbed.
The measures taken proved effective and no further case of
diphtheria occurred.
As far as could be ascertained the patient had not been
immunised against the disease.
Diphtheria Immunisation
Diphtheria Immunisation is the responsibility of the London
County Council and I am indebted to the Divisional Medical Officer
of Division 8, Dr. W.H.S. Wallace, for supplying me with the
following figures regarding immunisation carried out in the
Borough of Lambeth during the year 1958.