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
During the period from September 6 to 15, just prior to the outbreak of
influenza in epidemic proportions, the ward had an average population of
18.6 patients. The total number of new patients admitted was 11, of whom
3 died, a mortality of 27.2 per cent. All these cases were pneumococcus
pneumonias as determined by bacteriologic examination of the sputum at
time of admission. The 3 fatal cases showed pneumococcus infection at
autopsy. During the second period, from September 16 to 25, with the
outbreak of the epidemic of influenza, the ward rapidly filled with new
cases of pneumonia, attaining an average population of 46.1 patients. Of
the 52 new cases admitted 16 died, a mortality of 30.7 per cent. Again
all the cases admitted during this period in which bacteriologic
examination of the sputum was made, were found to be pneumococcus
pneumonias with one exception. This case, admitted on September 21 and
dying two days later, had a hemolytic streptococcus pneumonia.
Fortunately, though quite by accident, he was placed in a bed at one end
of the porch and no transmission of streptococcus infection to other
cases in the ward took place. At autopsy 13 cases showed pneumococcus
infection; the foregoing case, hemolytic streptococcus. During the third
period from September 26 to October 5 the ward became even more crowded,
having an average of 58.6 patients; 23 new cases were admitted, 8 of
whom died, a mortality of 34.7 per cent. Autopsy showed that 5 of these
were pneumococcus pneumonias and 1 was caused by hemolytic streptococcus
infection. It is noteworthy that the death rate from pneumonia gradually
increased as the ward became more and more crowded. This may possibly be
attributed in part to the increasing severity of the pneumonia during
the early days of the influenza epidemic. That it was in part directly
due to secondary contact infection with pneumococcus will be shown when
the transmission of pneumococcus infection is discussed. In spite of the
overcrowding of the ward the introduction of 2 cases of streptococcus
pneumonia did not cause an outbreak of streptococcus infection. Whether
this was due to precautions taken against the transfer of infection or
was merely a matter of good luck is difficult to say, in view of the
fact that a considerable amount of transfer of pneumococcus infection
from one patient to another did occur.
Ward 8 had long been used for the care of colored patients with
pneumonia. As in Ward 3 cubicles were in use and ordinary precautions
against the transfer of infection were used. The data are presented in
Table XVIII.
TABLE XVIII
PNEUMONIA IN WARD 8
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account