Poliomyelitis : a survey of the outbreak in Scotland in 1947.

Date:
1950
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Poliomyelitis : a survey of the outbreak in Scotland in 1947. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Previous Hinesses ° Final Diagnosis oe sl Respiratory ie None only Others Total Not poliomyelitis ... ee 93-61% rte, 1-28% 100% Polio. without paralysis... 88-45% 9+42% 2°13% 100% Polio. with paralysis it 85°67% 12-03% 2*29% 100% All Diagnosis a 88:61% 9° 44%, 1-95% 100% The differences between poliomyelitis without paralysis and poliomyelitis with paralysis were found not to be significant, but the antecedent history of patients whose final diagnosis was not poliomyelitis differed most significantly from that of the rest of the patients in the survey. As Table F shows, there was a definite association between a history of previous illness and the later acquisition of poliomyelitis. Without anticipating later discussion on the importance of the facts, the question may be posed here whether the history can be accepted as reliable. It is possible that cards were not so carefully completed when it was known that the case had not been one of poliomyelitis : the subject will be taken up again. (c) History, type of illness and age. Amplifying Table F above, the following table has been calculated. Owing to small numbers, it has not been practicable to continue to distinguish between histories of respiratory illnesses only and other histories. TABLE G Percentage of Cases with History of Previous Illness Age > Group Final Diagnosis not Polio. Final Diagnosis Polio. 0-4 9+ 62%, 18-21%, 5-9 5700% 13-84% 10-14 435% 12+83°%, 15-19 1°6 % 714% 20-29 13-3 % 3 «25%, 30- 1-2 % 9-3 %, All Ages 639% 13-66% The above table has features of considerable interest ; both columns have an irregular but significant trend towards lower percentages of positive histories with increasing ages at attack, and—except at ages 20-29, when the percentage in the first column significantly exceeds that in the second—the percentages in ‘the first column are very significantly below those in the second. Whatever factors have led to the association of antecedent illness and predisposition to an aHark of poliomyelitis, these factors have operated with some uniformity through- out life. _ In spite of the similarity of the histories of those patients who had poliomyelitis without paralysis and those who had poliomyelitis with paralysis (judged on the crude percentage of positive histories at all ages), these types of illness have been compared by age groups, as in the table below. I2