View report page

24
Scarlet Fever: - The decline in admissionsof scarlet fever cases,
evidenced in the previous three years, continued. The routine
use of penicillin did not appear to affect the range of complications
occurring but did reduce the total incidence of complications.
Thus, the incidence of otitis media was 2.4% - about
half the expected rate. Secondary attacks of scarlet fever are
the exception in that they appear to occur more frequently after
penicillin. There was no definite case of nephritis though
albuminuria did develop in 1 case. There were 2 cases of endocarditis
both of whom clinically appeared to make a full recovery.
Gastro-enteritis:- The age groups of the patients treated were
as follows:- under 1 year - 28, 1-5 years 12, school age 4
and adults 8. Classified according to severity 27 were mild,
16 moderately severe and 9 very sever e. Though the proportion
of very severe cases were similar to that obtaining in the
previous year, there were no deaths.
Whooping Cough:- Of the cases admitted, 12 were under 1 year (8
being under 6 months), 4 were aged 1-2, 11 aged 2-5 and 9
over 5 years. 13 patients admitted from various institutions
were all in the older age groups. Complications encountered were
pneumonia 7 cases, gastro-enteritis 4 cases, and bronchitis 1
case.
Dysentery:- The 27 dysentery admissions were all of the Sonne'
type. 22 of these cases occurred in 4 groups of associated cases,
the remaining 5 being seemingly sporadic. 17 were children up to
14 years and, of the 10 adults, 8 were aged and infirm.
Chicken-pox:- Admissions were mainly due to accommodation difficulties
in respect of patients in residential schools, rest
centres, lodgings and undergoing in-patient treatment in general
hospitals. The youngest was 2 months whilst the oldest, 76 years,
illustrated the association with herpes zoster.
Meningitis: - Meningitis appeared to be more prevalent than usual.
Of the 10 cases admitted, 5 were meningococcal, 2 pneumococcal,
1 haemophilus influenza infection, 1 streptococcal and 1 pyogenic
meningitis in which the causative organism could not be isolated.
All made uncomplicated recoveries.