View report page

PLAISTOW FEVER HOSPITAL
Report by Dr. Donald MacIntyre, M.C., M.D., D.P.H.,
Medical Superintendent
During 1945 there was a slight rise in the prevalence of
scarlet fever, diphtheria and measles, but the type of infection
remained generally mild.
The total number of admissions during the year was 991,
as compared with 740 in 1944. The number of cases in the
Hospital on December 31st, 1944, was 54, bringing the total
under treatment to 1,045. Of these 927 were discharged
recovered, 10 were transferred to other hospitals, 22 died, and
86 remained under treatment at the end of the year.
SCARLET FEVER. The number of admissions was 288,
as compared with 176 in the previous year, but the type of
disease continued to be mainly mild. One fatality, however,
occurred. This was a girl of 7 years who succumbed to an
anaphylactic shock following an intramuscular injection of
9,000 units of scarlet fever antitoxin. As usually happens in
such case, there was no indication prior to the administration
of the serum that the injection might cause a fatal result.
Complications occurred in 54 cases (18.75 per cent.). The
complications were: cervical adenitis, 26; otitis media, 11;
rhinitis, 7; nephritis, 5; septic sores, 4; arthritis, 1.
The diagnosis was changed in 10 cases notified as scarlet
fever. The corrected diagnoses were: measles, 3; tonsillitis, 2;,
erythema, 2; dermatitis, 1; urticaria, 1; bronchitis, 1.
DIPHTHERIA. The number of cases under treatment was
140, as compared with 63 in the previous year. Of these, 99
were discharged recovered, one died, and 40 remained under
treatment at the end of the year. The disease was classified as
mild in 44 cases, moderate in 36 cases, and severe in 19 cases.
The fauces were involved in all except 8 cases, in which the
infection was confined to the nose. The fatal case was a boy,
aged 8 years, who had been ill for 5 days before admission.
He had a severe faucial attack and was comatose on admission.
Paralysis occurred in 11 cases, being of a mild type in 8
cases and severe in 3 cases. In one of the latter the paralysis
involved the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles, and the
patient had to be nursed in the iron lung for 3 weeks; he
ultimately made a satisfactory recovery.
Twenty-seven patients gave a history of having been
previously immunised against diphtheria. The attack was mild
in 23 of these cases and moderately severe in 4 cases.
The diagnosis was revised in 99 of the cases notified as
10