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59
Bronchitis
Diseases of Ear
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
1953
730
290
263
175
1954
412
130
180
126
1955
429
109
132
90
The first three of these conditions are among those
for which injections of penicillin figure as the main
form of treatment. Tuberculosis, however, does not come
within the same category and, as this is a notifiable
disease, some further research has been made to ascertain
the cause of the reduction. Notifications of tuberculosis
have shown a reduction, but not to the same extent as the
number of cases referred for Home Nursing. Notifications
in 1953 were 225, in 1954 they were 149 and in 1955 they
were 142. The reduction in the number of cases requiring
home treatment can be accounted for partly by the reduc
tion in notified cases, partly hy the recent introduction
of specific drugs, P.A. S, and Izoniazid which can be taken
by mouth and which are to some extend replacing strepto
mycin which needs to be given by injection, and partly to
the fact that patients are now able to be admitted to
hospital almost at once and require no pre-hospital treat
ment.
The major portion of the nurses' time is spent among
old people. This is shown, conclusively, by the following
figures: -
In Table C is shown the nature of the 754 cases remain
ing on the books at 31st December, 1955. Of this total,
as many as 507, or 67 2% were 65 years of age or over.
Most of the visits to give general nursing care are made
to these elderly patients and these visits necessarily
take longer than visits for injections, a factor which
emphasizes the contention that the care of the aged at
home has become the home nurses' main function.
The Home Nursing Service may, in fact, be regarded as
serving two main functions. The first is to relieve the
demand for the accommodation of old people in hospital by
nursing many such cases in their own homes. The second is
1953 1954 1955
Number of new cases 65 years
and over
% of total new cases
1,588 1,375 1,396
33 4 36.6 38.8
Total visits to cases 65 years
and over
% of total visits
48,553 51.486 53,361
55, 8 59.1 61 0