Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measlesOpie, Eugene L. (Eugene Lindsay)
History
Epidemic Respiratory Disease: The pneumonias and other infections of the repiratory tract accompanying influenza and measles
All patients were received in an observation ward where they remained
until the results of a throat culture for hemolytic streptococci could
be reported back to the ward. Cases reported positive or negative were
immediately transferred to their respective treatment wards. All
patients in the treatment wards were cultured at intervals of one week
and cases found positive were transferred from the “clean” treatment
wards to a treatment ward for cases carrying hemolytic streptococci. The
ward personnel attending patients in the “clean” treatment wards was
examined by throat cultures from time to time with the purpose of
eliminating S. hemolyticus carriers. Patients segregated in the
streptococcus wards remained there, if uncomplicated, throughout their
hospital treatment even though subsequent repeated throat cultures
showed that the carrier condition had disappeared. Two wards were
provided to care for the pneumonia following measles. One received only
patients whose throat cultures were negative for hemolytic streptococci;
the other, those positive. It is essential that the throat culture on
which this differentiation is made be taken as soon as the complication
is reported and that transfer be made promptly on receipt of the report
of the culture. To facilitate this transfer, cases of pneumonia
complicating measles were reported to the laboratory as soon as
diagnosed and cultures were taken at once. The case remained in the
measles ward during twenty-four hours, isolated as well as possible,
awaiting report of culture before transfer. Within the positive ward for
measles pneumonias, distinction was made between streptococcus
pneumonias and nonstreptococcus pneumonias harboring hemolytic
streptococci in their throats. The two classes of cases were treated in
separate sections of the ward.
Ear complications were seen and treated by medical officers from the
otological service. These patients remained in the measles wards while
in the acute stage of measles, but later were transferred to the service
of otology whenever further surgical treatment became necessary.
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