Sulphonamides in the treatment of meningococcal meningitis : report to the Scientific Advisory Committee / [by the Infectious Diseases Sub-Committee].

  • Great Britain. Department of Health for Scotland. Scientific Advisory Committee on Medical Administration and Investigation. Infectious Diseases Sub-Committee.
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sulphonamides in the treatment of meningococcal meningitis : report to the Scientific Advisory Committee / [by the Infectious Diseases Sub-Committee]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/20 (page 3)
    MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS PRELIMINARY REPORT TO THE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR SCOTLAND By T. ANDERSON, M.B., Cu.B., F.R.C.P.(Ed.) T. ARCHIBALD, M.D. W. M. ELLIOTT, M.B., Cu.B., D.P.H. W. M. JAMIESON, M.D., D.P.H. . A. JOE, M.D., F.R.C.P\(Ep.), D.P.H. J. REID, M.D., D.P.H. | J. SMITH, M.D., D.Sc., F.R.C.P., D.P.H. gob I. N. SUTHERLAND, M.B., Cu.B., M.R.C.P.(Ep.), D.P.H. (Secretary) Introductory SCOPE OF THE SURVEY ARLY in 1940, when it was evident that an exceptionally large epidemic of cerebro-spinal fever was occurring in Great Britain, the Infectious Diseases Sub-Committee of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Department of Health for Scotland.considered that the opportunity presented itself for a detailed assess- ment of the recent history of the disease in Scotland, especially in view of the advances in treatment. A working sub-committee was formed, and the decision made that every case from the beginning of 1936 to the end of 1941, admitted to and accepted by the infectious disease hospitals of Edinburgh, Glasgow (Belvidere, Knightswood and Ruchill), Dundee, Aberdeen City and Lanark County (County Hospital) should be summarised on an agreed record card ; 2223 cards, representing all accepted cases in the participating hospitals, have been completed. The records are of about 40 per cent. of all cases (civilian and service) notified in Scotland in 1936-41. The population of the areas directly served by the hospitals is about 45 per cent. of the population of Scotland. Each patient’s record started with the usual data on admission and proceeded through diagnostic puncture, blood culture, details of treatment with antitoxin, serum, sulphonamide compounds, parenteral fluids, etc., to drug concentrations, drug intolerances, duration of primary pyrexia, complications, number of days in hospital, result and post-mortem findings ; with some subsidiary data. Some of these procedures or investigations had been carried out only in certain hospitals. On careful consideration, it was decided not to attempt a grading of clinical severity on admission, but rather to try to assess, by the results, the relative weights of more measurable factors in determining prognosis. Through facilities generously provided by the Department of Health for Scotland, the original data were coded and transferred to punched cards for machine tabulation. So considerable is the total information that the Sub-committee have decided A* 3