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10
Cross Infection.
Three cases of diphtheria developed scarlet fever, and two of
scarlet fever developed measles while in the wards of the hospital.
The control of cross infection in the hospital has continued
to be a matter of grave concern owing to the restricted isolation
accommodation for individual cases available only in the side-wards.
The cubicle block of twelve beds now under construction will,
when completed, relieve the situation to a considerable extent.
It is now generally recognised that one-third of the beds in a
hospital for infectious diseases should be in the form of cubicle
or single-bedded wards so that this cubicle block must be considered
but an instalment of the full complement to be aimed at. In
spite of the lack of cubicle accommodation there has fortunately
been little cross infection during the year.
Although cases of measles, whooping cough, chickenpox and
rubella were admitted in the incubation stage to the scarlet fever
and diphtheria wards, no cross infection with these diseases
occurred.
The following is a short account of the methods employed
in the control of cross infection.
A patient admitted to hospital is immediately isolated in a
ward reserved for cases of the same infectious disease. Should he
subsequently become infected with a disease other than that with
which he was admitted he is deemed a case of cross infection. The
sources of such infection may be divided into four main groups :—
(a) Cases admitted wrongly diagnosed.
(ft) Cases admitted with a correct diagnosis of one disease
but having a double infection.
(c) Carriers.
(d) Members of the hospital staff.
The first three are dealt with, firstly, by general measures aimed
at the prevention of spread of infection, such as strictly aseptic
methods of nursing, including the immediate destruction of all
infective material, and the sterilization of feeding and other
utensils by boiling ; and, secondly, by particular measures appropriate
to the type of infection involved. The latter may be dealt
with in more detail under the above headings.