Annual report on the health and medical services of the state of Queensland.

  • Queensland. Department of Health.
Date:
[1955]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the health and medical services of the state of Queensland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/122 (page 33)
    the Mobile X-ray Unit has visited the following centres during the past year:—Proserpine, Bowen, Collinsville, Home Hill, Ayr, Townsville, Charters Towers, Ingham, Innisfail, Tully, Babinda, Gordonvale, Cairns, Mossman, Mareeba, and Atherton. A total of 45,517 small and 1,526 large films has been taken by the Unit. Figures for the Mobile X-ray Unit’s opera¬ tions since its inception and up to the end of December, 1954, have been analysed. This has allowed time for investigation of cases found and so can be taken as a reasonably complete picture of the result of the survey. However, as some cases found early in the survey are only now, after many months’ observation, proving to be active, it is possible that active cases brought to light by these surveys will continue to occur for some time. Mobile X-Ray Survey. (Tables XXXVII. and XXXVIII.) The results of the survey to date show an overall incidence of 1-56 active cases per 1,000 films. The extra-metropolitan incidence is 1*5 per 1,000. In Rockhampton and Townsville, the largest centres of population in this survey, the rates were 2-2 and 2-6 per 1,000 films, respectively. The figures for the smaller towns are set out in Table XXXVIII. They should be interpreted with reserve, as the numbers are small in most of them and the rates, therefore, may be misleading. In the survey, only 50 per cent, of the estimated population over 13 years of age was X-rayed. No figures are available of the population of the nearby surrounding districts, and no doubt a large number of these people came into the towns for the X-ray. For instance, in the case of Nambour, slightly more than the total estimated population over the age of 13 years of that town was X-rayed, so that probably only about one-third of the town’s population has been X-rayed. The incidence found in the 1953 mass X-ray survey of Sydney (Rubinstein, 1955) was:— In a voluntary survey—1-08 active cases per 1,000 films. In a compulsory survey—2-17 active cases per 1,000 films. These rates, compared with the finding of 1-56 per 1,000 films in a voluntary survey, show that the incidence in the Queensland extra- metropolitan area is rather high. As 133 active cases were found in the 21 towns, where less than half the population availed themselves of the X-ray, it means that there could be between 250 and 500 active cases of tuberculosis still undetected in the towns surveyed. The increased number of microfilms taken in the metropolitan area is encouraging, and the increase in the number of large films taken reflects the ever-increasing number of people being kept under regular X-ray review for doubtful chest conditions. (Table XXXVI.) Staffing of the X-ray machines, particularly the Mobile X-ray Unit, is difficult, and a vacancy exists permanently with this unit for a radio¬ grapher. For this reason, two cadets have com¬ menced training at the Chest Clinic to help provide for the demand for radiographers in the State. Treatment. There have been no major innovations or changes in treatment during this year. The use of antibiotics continues to an ever-increasing extent, and isoniazid is proving an increasingly helpful drug. The trend towards longer dura¬ tion of drug administration is particularly note¬ worthy. No new drugs of apparent permanent value have been added during the past year. The shortage of surgical facilities still remains a major problem, and is not likely to be over¬ come until the main building at the Brisbane Chest Hospital is in use. Notifications. For the year there were 725, which is 96 less than last year. It is hoped that this continued fall reflects a real diminution in the incidence of the disease and not a failure to notify cases on the part of those treating them. Paradoxi¬ cally, increased emphasis on the bacteriological diagnosis may adversely affect the notification of cases. Some cases may not be notified with¬ out bacteriological confirmation though radio¬ logical and clinical evidence may be suggestive; also, in areas where specimens are sent long distances to laboratories, negative findings are not reliable. Too many cases are being first notified after death. (Table XXXIX.) The death rate for the calendar year 1954 is 10-6 per 100,000, as compared with 12-6 for the last year. This drop has not been as marked as in the previous year, but still represents a fall of 16-0 per cent., and is in keeping with the trend in other States and overseas. It is un¬ doubtedly due to the widespread use of chemo¬ therapy and chest surgery. Morbidity figures, however, show a rise during the corresponding period. This is probably not a true increase in the number of cases occurring but reflects the fact that modem ■treatment keeps many people alive who would otherwise be removed by death.