London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hendon 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hendon]
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97
C. An abscess of the jaw from which Staphylococcus
only was grown during the early stages produced
Type 11 hæmolytic streptococci at a later swabbing.
The throat swab was also found to be
Type 11 at the same swabbing, though it had
been Type 8 the previous week.
D. Developed mastoiditis from which Type 11 was
isolated, though the throat swab had been and
remained Type 20. The patient was in the next
cot to C.
E. Type 11 was isolated from her throat, which had
previously yielded Type 1, on the day on which
she developed rhinitis, and from her nose the
following week.
2. Experimental period.
The following are the results of the investigation from
January 19th to May 13th, 1938, during which time both
Blocks A and B were in use:—
Comparative incidence of change of type among patients in Block A (open) and Block B (bed-isolation).
| Block A. | Block B. | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of patients | 74 | 62 |
| Number patients showing changes of type | 15 (20.6%) | 14 (22.6%) |
| Number of changes of type | 21 | 16 |
(a) It may be seen from Table 2 that among the
patients in Block A 20.6 per cent. showed a change of
hæmolytic streptococcal type and among those in Block B
22.6 per cent. It appeared therefore that the method of
bed-isolation nursing was not an effective measure in reducing
significantly the incidence 'of re-infection among
these scarlet fever patients,