Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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Lack of response to treatment was evident in many instances,
due apparently to deficient nutrition and a lessened resistance
owing to the economic situation, or again to the appearance of
a severe type of infection, less amenable to the influence of antitoxin,
which has been noted by many Authorities both in this
country and abroad.
Many cases called for large amounts of antitoxin and 25
patients received from 50,000 to 100,000 units. In many instances
this was given intravenously in order to afford immediate benefit.
In toxic and febrile cases, antistreptococcic serum was
administered in conjunction with diphtheritic antitoxin.
Severe complications of recovery cases were as follows, viz. :—
Paralysis | 2 | |||||
Cardiac vomiting | 3 | |||||
Lobar Pneumonia | 1 | |||||
Myocarditis ... | 7 | |||||
The age incidence of the patients admitted was as follows :— | ||||||
Years | 0-5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15 + | Total | |
27 | 73 | 33 | 20 | 153 |
Scarlet Fever.
The number of patients admitted during the year was 576,
as compared with 160 for 1931, indicating an epidemic period.
This is the largest number treated in hospital in any year,
which was possible owing to the increased accommodation
available.
Twenty-three patients remained under treatment at the end
of 1931.
At first somewhat mild in type, this illness became more pronounced
towards the latter end of the year and many cases showed
marked toxicity and in some instances severe and prolonged
complications. Four cases exhibited concurrent infectious disease.
Of the total cases, 599, one death only resulted, that of a
patient suffering from septic Scarlet Fever and Pneumonia, who
died within twenty-four hours of admission. The mortality rate
was 0.16 per cent., as compared with 0.5 per cent. for the previous
year.