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
At the end of this article there is appended a series of our ward record
charts of patients who developed pneumonia following the influenza.
These charts are shown to indicate the results of giving immune
convalescent citrated blood in pneumonia. The ones presented are from
some of the group which recovered. We have, of course, the charts from
the fatal cases, but as they do not bring out any special point, save
that there was little or no change after treatment, we are omitting
them. It is not our idea, however, to give the impression that we have
had nothing but success with this method of treatment. It might be well
to emphasize some of the salient points which are brought out.
(1) The regularity of the drop in temperature after the injection is
almost generally demonstrated.
(2) The occasional chill following the injection seemed to have no
untoward results.
(3) The leucocytes show, as a rule, little or no variation after
transfusion. Our work agrees with McGuire and Redden’s statement that
the cases with a leucocyte count under 10,000 give the best results with
immune serum.
(4) The time of injection in many of the cases was by no means ideal, in
that the disease was advanced; and again in many the injection should
have been repeated sooner. This, however, is no fault of ours.
(5) One injection of 50 cc. of citrated blood from a good donor, if
given early enough, may be all that is necessary. Several charts bear
out this statement.
(6) The day of disease is dated from the onset of the influenza. The
demonstrable signs of pneumonia correspond roughly to the initial rise
in temperature following the influenza. The day of disease of the
pneumonia is not indicated on the chart, as this information we have
obtained from the daily notes.
_Complications_
The epidemic was well spent before we observed many complications, save
those referable to the lung. Later various forms of sequelæ have been
appearing. One must guard, however, against the danger of attributing
all of our ills to the past epidemic. We are not going to give in detail
the treatment of these various conditions, nor even mention all of the
many complications. The main points, however, we desire to emphasize.
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