Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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Interval Between Notification and Death From Pulmonary
Tuberculosis in Cases Dying in 1937.
The following Table shows the intervals of time elapsing between
the date of notification of a patient as suffering from Pulmonary
Tuberculosis and the date of his death from that complaint,
in the total of 140 deaths during 1937, 26 (18.5%) were either not
notified at all or only notified within a month prior to death. In
1936, this figure was 22 or 17.2%. Of these, 12 were not notified
during life; 2 of whom were cases of fulminating or complicated
cases of Tuberculosis ; and 4 cases were certified by the Coroner or
after a post-mortem examination ; 4 cases died in other areas; and
2 cases were not notified through a misunderstanding.
In 34.2% notification preceded death by less than six months.
Table IV.
Not Notified | Under 1 week | 1-2 weeks | 2-4 weeks | 1-2 months | 2-3 months | 3-6 months | 6-12 months | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 11 | |||
One Year | Two Years | Three Years | Four Years | Five Years | Six Years | Seven Years | Eight years and over | |||
18 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
For Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis the proportion of non-notified
fatal cases to the total deaths from this form of the disease was
60%. In other words, out of a total of 15 deaths, 9 were not notified
during life; only 1 of these 9 cases died at home, the cause of death
being ascertained after a post-mortem examination. Four of the
other cases were certified after a post-mortem examination.
Of the total deaths from Tuberculosis of all forms, 21 or 13.5%,
were not notified prior to death, compared with 12.5% in 1936.
The periodic medical examination of the whole population, as
is now applied to public Elementary School children would, in the
case of this one disease alone, probably be an economic asset,
although to carry it out would entail a heavy financial outlay.