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13
Deaths:
Number of deaths in patients suffering from scarlet fever, 2.
In neither case was scarlet fever the real cause of death.
The first fatal case was an adult male who after the first stage
operation for prostatectomy developed surgical scarlet fever; death was
due to uraemia. The other case was a child who had had a cyst of the
neck removed. This suppurated and the child developed a scarlatiniform
rash. Purulent rhinitis led to a fatal bronchial pneumonia.
Treatment:
Of the 165 patients admitted who were considered to be suffering
from scarlet fever, 42 were given serum treatment, mostly 3,000 units.
Prontosil was given to 94 patients.
Complications:
17 per cent. of the patients admitted suffered from some complication.
The number who suffered from otorrhœa was 14 (including 3 who developed
mastoid involvement), from adenitis 6, from rheumatism 3, and
from secondary sore throat 2.
A mastoid operation was performed on three patients, one of whom
was admitted while suffering from a mastoid involvement.
The consultant surgeon visited a patient suffering from an obscure
abdominal condition.
Cross Infection:
Eight patients developed other infections during their stay in hospital,
in each case the infection having been contracted before admission.
Rubella developed in 3, whooping cough and mumps in 2 each and
chickenpox in one.
Return Cases:
Return cases were notified from six households to which patients
treated in hospital for scarlet fever returned during the year.
Period of Stay:
68 per cent. of patients returned home on or before the 21st day from
admission. 16 per cent. were in until the 28th day or longer, most of
them being detained by some minor abnormality.
Diphtheria.
Admissions:
Number of cases admitted on a diagnosis of diphtheria
(including 3 Service cases) 54
Number of cases clinically diphtheria 15
Number of positive swab contacts 5
Of the 34 cases in which the diagnosis was not confirmed, 27 were
suffering from tonsillitis or quinsy, 2 each from laryngitis or pharyngitis.
Deaths:
Number of deaths from diphtheria, 2.
One child aged 20 months admitted on the sixth day of illness died
28 minutes after admission. The other fatal case, a boy of 5, was
admitted with naso-pharyngeal diphtheria on the third day of illness,
dying four days later. Other members of the family were infected in
each of these instances, these being the only cases of secondary infection
of diphtheria in the district during the year.