Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
Table III includes the urinary findings of patients diagnosed as
influenzal pneumonia. In this table the term “Day of Disease” indicates
the day on which the physical signs of pneumonia could be demonstrated,
and not the day on which the patient was taken ill with influenza. The
incidence of albuminuria—79 per cent.—is very high, while the presence
of casts and red blood cells is low. These results are really what one
would expect. As we have noticed in the late stages of uncomplicated
influenza a greater tendency for urinary changes to become apparent, one
would, therefore, most likely find considerable urinary disturbance in
the pneumonia immediately following the epidemic disease. Pneumococcic
pneumonia is prone to be accompanied by an albuminuria. So when we have
both influenzal and pneumococcic etiological factors involved, it is but
natural to have most of the patients showing signs of kidney
disturbance. The amount of albumin present, although generally greater
than in uncomplicated influenza, was not excessive. At times there was
little more than a trace. We noted the relative scarcity of casts—a
condition which differs greatly from our past experience in the ordinary
lobar pneumococcic pneumonia. On the transient nature of this kidney
involvement we have considerable positive evidence, but there is no
question that the time required for the urine to return to normal is
longer after pneumonia than uncomplicated influenza. We have observed
but one or two cases which afterward returned to us presenting clinical
signs of acute nephritis. In fact, in going over our hospital records of
the winter and spring we noted that an unusually small number of acute
nephritics have been admitted. This would seem to be evidence that, as
has been noted in the past, the kidney is not a vulnerable organ in this
epidemic disease.
TABLE IV
URINE ANALYSIS IN CASES OF PNEUMONIA (INFLUENZAL) AT THE MAGEE HOSPITAL
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