London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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West Ham 1936

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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Laryngeal Diphtheria. Fifty-four cases were admitted as
laryngeal diphtheria, but 25 of these proved to be wrongly diagnosed.
Of the 29 true cases, 12 required tracheotomy, and one
of these died. The fatal case was a child aged nine months who
was complicated by broncho-pneumonia. The fatality rate was
8.3 per cent. of the cases operated on.
Fatal Cases. Thirteen deaths occurred among the faucial
cases; all were children under 8 years of age. The average duration
of illness on admission was 4 days. Eleven of the cases died
from toxaemia during the first fortnight of disease. The other
two died from paralysis in the sixth and eighth week of illness.
The amount of antitoxin administered to them averaged 104,000
units. The fatality rate among the faucial cases was 3.23 per
cent.
Treatment: The amount of antitoxin administered to the
nasal and mild faucial cases averaged 15,000 units. The moderate
faucial cases received an average of 36,000 units. To the
severe faucial cases, the antitoxin was given partly by intravenous
and partly by intramuscular injection and averaged 120,000
units.
Typhoid Fever. Eight cases, notified as typhoid fever, were
under treatment. Five of these proved to be wrongly diagnosed;
one suffered from septic endocarditis and the other 4 were eases
of gastro-enteritis. Of the 3 true cases, one suffered from typhoid
fever and the other two from para-typhoid B. All had moderate
attacks and made a satisfactory recovery. The case of septic
endocarditis proved fatal.
Measles. The number of cases under treatment was 227.
Of these 200 were discharged, 26 died, and 1 remained under
treatment at the end of the year. The cases were all severe, the
majority being complicated by broncho-pneumonia. Eleven
suffered from acute laryngitis on admission and 41 developed
otorrhoea during the acute stage of infection. The fatal cases,
which were all children under 3 years, were complicated by br.
pneumonia, and 3 of them also suffered from whooping cough.
Whooping Cough. Sporadic cases of this infection continued
to be admitted throughout the year. The number under treatment
was 30. Of these, 26 were discharged, 3 died, and 1
remained under treatment at the end of the year. 1 he ages or
the fatal cases were 5 years, 10 months, and 2 months. The
disease was also present as a complication in 3 cases of scarlet
fever, 3 cases of diphtheria, and 5 cases of measles.
Erysipelas. The number under treatment was 20. Their
ages ranged from 10 months to 63 years, and males and females
were about equally affected. The disease was mild in 12 cases,
and severe in 8 cases. One case proved fatal. This was a man
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