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Ophthalmia Neonatorum
As in the year before no case of this infection in the eyes of the new
born was notified. Cases of this nature have become very uncommon with
better prophylactic treatment of the eyes after birth, largely due to the
availability of more effective drugs. Only two cases have occurred in the
last 8 years and neither of them gave rise to any impairment of vision.
Puerperal Pyrexia
The number of notifications of puerperal pyrexia in this district
is always substantial. The reason for this is that within the boundaries
there is extensive maternity hospital accommodation which caters for a
large part of Metropolitan Surrey, in which no fewer than 2,300 births
took place during the year. Puerperal pyrexia, for purposes of notification,
is defined as any rise of 2° of temperature in a woman within 14 days of
childbirth or miscarriage. This covers fever of every type of origin and not
merely that due to infection of the genital tract.
In 1962, 125 cases were notified, only 18 of which were Carshalton
mothers. All occurred in local hospitals and none was fatal.
Food Poisoning
Only one case of food poisoning was notified. The patient was a
nurse at a local hospital and as there were no associated cases, there was no
indication as to the vehicle of infection, but it was believed to have been
contracted outside the hospital. The responsible organism was S.
Typhimurium which yielded to treatment after four days.
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