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63
Complications included six cases of broncho-pneumonia
and five of bronchitis.
POLIOMYELITIS:
27 cases were admitted with a notification of poliomyelitis.
Seventeen of these from the Hendon district and 10 came from
surrounding areas. Two of the patients died, one from
Bulbar paralysis on the day of admission, and the other on
the 38th day of treatment, death being proved by post mortem
examination to be due to polio-encephalitis. Two patients
remained in hospital at the end of the year, and an analysis
of the 23 cases who recovered and were discharged during
1946 showed that the diagnosis of acute anterior poliomyelitis
was confirmed in 16 instances. Three further cases of
poliomyelitis were diagnosed one having been notified as
measles and two others as encephalitis. Eleven out of the
total of 19 recovered cases of poliomyelitis were, on discharge,
transferred to orthopædic units for treatment of the residual
paralysis. Of the remainder notified, two were found to be
cases of virus encephalitis, and in five instances no diagnosis
of virus infection was established.
MENINGITIS:
23 cases with a definite or tentative diagnosis of this
disease were admitted during 1946. Three deaths occurred;
one was due to acute meningitis (Pfieffer's bacillus) in a girl,
aged 2 years, from the Wembley District. The other two
were due to tuberculous meningitis, the diagnosis in both
instances being confirmed by post mortem examination. Of
the remaining 20 cases, 19 were discharged during the year
and one remained in hospital until January, 1947. Amongst
the recovered cases, a diagnosis of cerebro-spinal meningitis
was made in four instances (average stay 29.4 days) and
that of meningococcal meningitis in three cases (average 23.3
days). The remaining 12 discharged cases included two
which proved to be suffering from acute anterior poliomyelitis
and have been dealt with under that heading, one of subarachnoid
hæmorrhage which was transferred to Redhill
Hospital within 24 hours of admission, and nine others in
which the diagnosis was not confirmed.