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
In searching for a solution of the problem it is essential to have the
following considerations clearly in mind. Every patient with influenza
must be considered a potential source of pneumococcus or hemolytic
streptococcus infection for his neighbor until he is proved otherwise by
bacteriologic examination. Every person engaged in the care of patients
with respiratory diseases must also be regarded as a potential source of
danger. Pneumonia cannot be regarded as one disease but must be looked
upon as a group of different diseases, with more or less similar
physical signs and symptoms, it is true, but caused by a considerable
variety of bacteria, infection with any one of which not only provides
no protection against infection with another, but may even render the
individual more susceptible to secondary infection. Therefore, every
patient with pneumonia must be regarded as an actual source of danger to
his neighbor, at least until it is established that he has the same type
of infection. All these considerations are especially true in the
presence of influenza, for it has become evident that many organisms
readily gain access to the lung and produce pneumonia in patients with
influenza which under ordinary circumstances fail to cause disease of
the respiratory organs.
Since secondary infection in respiratory disease is undoubtedly spread
in large part by droplet and contact infection, the prevention of
secondary infection must depend upon the elimination of these methods of
transmission. Three solutions present themselves: (1) Ward treatment
with absolute elimination of overcrowding and much wider separation of
patients than has hitherto been deemed necessary; (2) segregation of
patients according to type of bacterial infection; (3) effective
individual isolation of every patient.
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