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Cases of whooping cough and pneumonia were admitted only
during the first two months of the year. After the transference of
the Harold Wood Hospital to the Public Assistance Committee all
the accommodation at Plaistow Hospital was taken up by scarlet
fever and diphtheria cases.
Erysipelas continued fairly prevalent throughout the year,
and accommodation was provided for some of the more severe
cases.
At the beginning of 1933 there were 266 patients in residence,
and 1,814 were admitted during the year, making a total of 2,080
under treatment. Of these, 1,741 were discharged as recovered,
105 died, and 234 remained under treatment at the end of the year.
The chief causes of death during the year are briefly summarised
as follows:—
Scarlet Fever caused 6 deaths
Diphtheria 49 ,,
Pneumonia and Bronchitis 21 ,,
Whooping Cough 11 ,,
Meningitis 4 ,,
Erysipelas 3 ,,
Enteritis 3 ,,
Other diseases 8 ,,
The fatality rate, calculated on all the cases admitted during
the year, was 5.78 per cent.
Table I. shows the admissions and deaths for each month
of the year, and in Table 11. there is shown the annual admissions
and deaths from the principal infectious diseases since the Hospital
was opened.
Scarlet Fever.
The total number of cases under treatment was 1,027. Of
these, 927 were discharged, 6 died and 94 remained under treatment
at the end of the year.
Scarlet fever antitoxin was administered to 95 of the more
severe cases which were admitted within the first three days of
illness. The dosage varied from 10 to 50 c.c.s, the average being
20 c.c.s.
The average duration of illness of all cases on admission was
3.89 days. In 114 cases, or 12 per cent. of the admissions, there
was no rash present on the day of admission, and 121 cases
showed no evidence of desquamation during their period of residence.
In 64 cases, owing to the absence of rash and desquamation,
the diagnosis remained doubtful. Of these, 8 developed the
disease in the wards. A relapse occurred during the third week
in four cases in which the diagnosis had been confirmed by the
presence of rash and desquamation. The average duration of
residence of all the cases was 37 days.
c
115