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Scarlet Fever.
Owing to lack of accommodation, all the cases could not be
admitted when notified, and a large proportion of them had passed
the acute stage of illness when admitted. Only 30 per cent. of
the patients were admitted during the first 3 days of illness. 78
per cent. were admitted during the first week of illness, 17 during
the second week, and 5 per cent. in the third week. The average
day of illness of all cases was 5.6 days. 72 cases showed no signs
of the disease on admission or afterwards, and 11 of these contracted
the infection in the wards.
The total number of cases under treatment was 1,109, which
compared with 1,047 in the previous year. Of these, 965 recovered,
5 died, and 139 remained under treatment at the end of the
year. On the 5 fatal cases, 1 was of the septic type, 1 died of
uraemia following nephritis, 2 died of septic meningitis complicating
middle ear disease, and 1, an adult who had previously suffered
from acute rheumatism, died of endocarditis.
The fatality rate was .51 per cent. of the cases discharged.
In 56 cases the disease was complicated by the presence of
other infections as follows:—
Scarlet Fever with Nasal Diphtheria 37 cases.
„ „ „ Faucial Diphtheria 7 „
„ „ „ Chickenpox 6 „
„ „ „ Measles 2 „
„ „ „ Whooping Cough 4 „
37 cases notified as scarlet fever proved to be wrongly diagnosed,
and were found on admission to be suffering from the
following complaints:—Rubella, 8; measles, 6; septic rash, 2;
toxic erythema, 4; diphtheria, 2; pneumonia, 4; urticaria, 1; dermatitis,
1; tonsilitis, 1; bronchitis, 1; no disease, 7.
Complications :—Of the 965 cases discharged during the year,
323, or 33.47 per cent., suffered from complications as follows :—
Adenitis 47 cases, or 4.66 per cent.
Arthritis17 „ „ 1.76 „ „
Albuminuria 60 „ „ 6.21 „ „
Nephritis 27 „ „ 2.78 „ „
Otorrhoea 64 „ „ 6.63 „ „
Rhinitis 56 „ „ 5.80 „ „
Vaginitis 6 „ „ .62 „ „
Endocarditis 4 „ „ .41 „ „
Septic Sores 42 „ „ 4.35 „ „
The average duration of residence of all cases, including stay
at the Convalescent Home, was 44.29 days.
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