Statistical report : 1935 / Mount Vernon Hospital.

  • Mount Vernon Hospital (Northwood, London, England)
Date:
1935
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistical report : 1935 / Mount Vernon Hospital. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    collar exactly meet without external control. An automatic catch mechanism holds the collar closed. The applicators are then moved into contact with the skin. In general the whole operation takes under half a minute. The patient is provided with a table, book-rest and communication bell, and is left for two hours. By an action similar to the application of a bicycle brake, the catch mechanism can be released and the collar opened and raised for the patient to get up from the chair. The ease with which the collar can be closed and opened is chiefly due to the mechanical ingenuity displayed by Mr. Wyatt, who has constructed the whole collar. CLINICAL NOTE. By John Morton, Resident Medical Officer. The collar has now been in use for twelve weeks, working from twelve to six¬ teen hours daily, except Sundays. A patient receiving full treatment is in the collar for four hours daily. This four hours is divided into two separate treatments of two hours each, with as long an interval as possible between. Different hours are allotted daily to equalize any inconvenience to the patient from broken sleep and interrupted meals. The collar is in charge of Dr. M. Evans, assisted by a nurse who has no other duties. Necessary reliefs are carried out by other medical officers and ward nurses. Most of the cases so far treated have had previous irradiation to the same site, and some have also had operative interference. The dose given has been of the order of 4000 r to the skin in these cases, and considering the nature of the previous treat¬ ment. this may be regarded as satisfactory. The greatest number of hours’ treatment so far given to any patient is 106, lasting over eight weeks, giving 5500 r to skin and 4000 r to growth. We are now treating a series of cases who have had no previous irradiation, but we are not yet in a position to supply figures for the total dose for this series. We have been content so far to secure a very deep erythema accompanied by very marked dry desquamation. The patients we have so far treated have been as follows:— Carcinoma of pyriform fossa 4 cases. Intrinsic Carcinoma of larynx. i case. Carcinoma of epiglottis i case. Secondary submaxillary glands 2 cases. Secondary deep cervical glands i case. In each case local improvement has been secured, but it is still too early to gauge the completeness or permanence thereof. The most constant symptom complained of has been dryness of mouth and throat after a dose of the order of 2000 r has been delivered. After an additional 1000 r some general lassitude has been apparent, accompanied by slight pain on swallowing. This has not beep noticeably increased by the end of the treatment. Page Eight