London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Southall 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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In all 2,308,000 units of antitoxin were given to the 76 cases of
diphtheria, the highest dosage being 86,000 units. In four cases antitoxin
was given intravenously in addition to the routine intramuscular injection.
The use of prontosil alba was continued for alternate cases, and the
table below indicates the complication experienced in the 254 patients.
Complications of the cases of scarlatina which were treated by:
| Prontosil. | Serum. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical adenitis | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Rhinorrhoea | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Otorrhoea | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Nephritis | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Septic fingers | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Secondary attacks | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Bacteriological Diphtheria | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Mixed Infections.
One of the scarlatina cases on admission was found to be suffering in
addition from faucial diphtheria.
Diphtheria.
Ninety cases notified as diphtheria were admitted to the hospital.
Seventy-six of these were confirmed as diphtheria.
The following table shows the incidence of the cases in age groups:—
Table No. 58.
| Age (years) | 0-5 | 5-15 | 15-25 | 25-35 | 35+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 14 | 49 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| The following table shows the incidence of the cases in age groups:— Table No. 58. | |||||
| Age (years) | 0-5 | 5-15 | 15-25 | 25-35 | 35+ |
| Number | 14 | 49 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
The clinical types in which the diagnosis was substantiated were as
follows:—
Anterior Nasal 10
Laryngeal —
Tonsillor (Faucial) 34
Naso-pharyngeal 15
"Bacteriological" 17
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