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Complications.—The complications met with during 1936
were as follows:—
Scarlet Fever.—(Total of 189 cases treated during the year).
Right Otorrhoea 4
Left Otorrhoea 2
Double Otorrhoea 1
Abscess 1
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The complication rate for scarlet fever during 1936 is the
lowest yet recorded at the hospital (4.2 per cent, against 6.6 per
cent in 1935, the previous low record). This is extremely satisfactory,
but it must be remembered that the type of case being
admitted was distinctly mild and that most of the cases were
admitted during the very early stages of the illness. In addition,
the wards were exceptionally quiet during the major portion of
the year. In spite of these facts, I am of opinion that the administration
of serum to all cases on admission is now exercising a
beneficial effect, and to this, in part at least, must be ascribed the
compartively small number of complications which occurred in the
scarlet fever wards.
Diphtheria.—Apart from the 6 fatal cases met with during
the year, only 16 complications occurred among the remaining
176 cases of diphtheria receiving treatment. This gives a complication
rate of 9.17, the lowest figure obtained since I began to
calculate the complication rate for diphtheria after taking over
the duties of Medical Superintendent to the Isolation Hospital.
The figure for the previous year was 15.1 per cent. The complications
met with were as follows:—
Palatal Paralysis 5
Ocular Paralysis 1
Palatal, Ocular and Pharyngeal Paralysis 1
Ocular and Pharyngeal Paralysis 1
Palatal and Pharyngeal Paralysis 1
Mild Endocarditis 2
Rhinorrhoea 1
Abscess of Glands 1
Tonsillitis and Abscess of Buttock 1
Left Otorrhoea 1
Nephritis 1
16
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