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87
The number of patients treated with Scarlet Fever Antiserum
totalled 42. These cases were generally those exhibiting severe
toxicity or where septic complications appeared imminent. Some
assistance is otherwise afforded by this treatment in that the
period of infectivity is lessened, and consequently the length of
stay in hospital reduced, and there is also probably a diminished
likelihood of patients becoming infectious again should catarrh
of the respiratory passages supervene after discharge. Such is a
frequent cause of "return" cases, that is, new outbreaks of the
illness arising a week or more after the return home of the original
patient.
One death occurred from sequelae of Scarlet Fever after a
considerable interval had elapsed. The case mortality being 0.5
per cent as compared with 0.4 per cent. for the previous year. The
illness varied much in severity but generally speaking was of the
milder type.
The age incidence was as follows, viz.:—
Years 0-5 5-10 10-15 15 upwards.
42 66 23 29
Complications sufficiently serious to note—
Double Adenitis
Cardiac Arrythmia 11
Nephritis 2
Otitis Media (severe) 12
Mastoid Abscess 2
Thrombosis lateral sinus 1
It will be seen by a consideration of statistics here given that
many cases of infectious illness other than Diphtheria and Scarlet
Fever have been admitted, and thereby greater use has been made
of the services of the hospital.
Those presenting serious complications in cases of nonnotifiable
infectious disease, such as Broncho-pneumonia following
Measles and Whooping Cough have derived much benefit. Efficient
nursing and methods of treatment rarely possible in the home are
available in such cases, and it is not too much to say that the
patients' recovery would have been jeopardised had such not been
provided.