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
Between September 15 and December 15, 1918, 867 cases of measles,
admitted to the wards of the base hospital, were studied and handled
according to the system outlined above. About one half of these cases
appeared during the first month of the study. During this month
hemolytic streptococci played a very insignificant rôle. This
microorganism did not appear with alarming prevalence until after the
wards had been thoroughly overcrowded. After the emergency, when better
ward conditions were provided, S. hemolyticus carriers continued to
develop in the wards and were removed when identified. The first S.
hemolyticus carriers to develop in the wards were identified on October
8. The first case of streptococcus pneumonia developed on October 17,
while streptococcus otitis as a complication of measles did not begin
until a little later. During the latter two months of the study, S.
hemolyticus became rampant in the wards. The streptococcus complications
date their onset at some time during these two months.
Table LXI shows the number of admissions to the measles wards by weeks
and the patients among them found to be carrying hemolytic streptococci.
It also shows the number of S. hemolyticus carriers developing each week
among patients under treatment in the “clean” wards, as identified by
throat cultures repeated at weekly intervals. For purposes of
orientation, the number of cases developing streptococcus pneumonia and
otitis media with its subsequent mastoiditis are given for each week
during the period of observation.
An admission to the measles ward can generally be regarded as an acute
case of measles. There are a few exceptions to this statement and these
are cases of measles treated in barracks and afterwards transferred to
the base hospital. A relatively small number of such cases furnished 16
of the cases positive for hemolytic streptococci on admission to the
measles ward.
TABLE LXI
S. HEMOLYTICUS CARRIERS IDENTIFIED BY THROAT CULTURE AMONG ADMISSIONS; THOSE
DEVELOPING AMONG PATIENTS UNDER TREATMENT IN THE STREPTOCOCCUS “CLEAN”
MEASLES WARDS; S. HEMOLYTICUS COMPLICATIONS ACCORDING TO THEIR DATES OF ONSET
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