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54
During the current year the Asthma Clinic is to continue
the investigation of the value of Skin Tests in
cases of Asthma, which was started during the past year.
A survey has been started to evaluate the use and reliability
of history taking in cases of Asthma, and to attempt
an assessment of the nervous temperament of asthmatic
children attending the Clinic by comparing this group of
children with a similar group who do not have asthma.
The progress of this survey has been considerably
helped by the kind advice and co-operation of the Allergy
Clinic of St. Mary's Hospital London; the Brompton Hospital
for Diseases of the Chest, London, and Professors
Walton and Bradford Hill of the London School of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene, London
The benefit derived from the Physiotherapy Classes by
both bronchitic and asthmatic children in the Area is
most encouraging. The number and severity of asthmatic
attacks in cases attending the Clinic is reported by the
parents as being greatly reduced, and in the case of the
bronchitics similar improvements have been obtained. The
need for routine revision of all discharged cases continues
since many of the younger children fail to undertake
their exercises at home Group exercises under
supervision at the Clinic must therefore remain an essential
feature of the treatment.
The co-operation of the Child Guidance Clinic has
been sought to help in the interpretation of the findings
with regard to the emotional make up of asthmatic children
compared with other children who do not suffer from this
complaint.
As compared with the previous year, the number of
attendances at the Asthma Clinic rose from 889 to 2,157
this year. This increase in numbers is explained by the
following reasons:-
1. The clinic has had the uninterrupted services of a
Physiotherapist during the past year, whereas during
the previous year the Physiotherapist was on sick
leave for 19 weeks.
2. A larger number of cases which had been discharged
from treatment were re-examined as part of a routine
follow-up, so that their progress could be recorded.
3. A certain extra number of cases which did not exhibit
signs and symptoms of chest disease have been investigated,
since they have been used as controls in the
current survey of asthmatic cases started this year.