[Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Cambridgeshire County Council.

  • Cambridgeshire (England). County Council
Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Cambridgeshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/20 (page 10)
    In 1945 the total number of new cases examined was 1,469, as; a^jainst 1,648 in 1944, of which 170 were found to be suffering from tuberculosis (210 in 1944). Of the 170 new tuberculous cases, 32 were transfers from other areas. Of the total number of new cases, 168 were contacts of whom 5 proved to be infected. At the end of the year 862 names remained on the register, 275 ha\ ing at some time or other had tubei’cle bacilli in the sputum. The number remaining on the register was 76 more than the corresponding number at the end of 1944. The number of s])ecimens of sputum examined was 234, tubercle bacilli being found in 81. X-ray examinations numbered 7,894 (6,488 in 1944) of which 6.064 were cases in which films were taken and 1.830 required screen examina- tion only. Ninety-four cases received artificial pneumothorax treatment throughout the vear (69 in 1944). the total number of refills being 1,983 (1,223 in i944). Three new cases received dental treatment at the Clinic, five less than in 1944. Again the number of new cases has fallen somewhat, but the total number of visits to the Clinic has risen by nearly 500. The Tuberculosis Officer’s visits to patients remained at approximately the same level as in the previous year, but the Clinic Nurse’s ^'isits show a considerable reduction. This is due to the alteration in the arrangements mentioned earlier and the figure given relates of course only to visits carried out in the early part of the year before the alteration had taken place. The visi+s by the general nursing staff, i.e. the district nurses, show a corresponding increase. The number of cases recei\ ing artificial pneumothorax treatment and the consequent number of attendances for the purpose continue to rise and it should be realised that the time cons\imin2 nature of this work is very imperfectly shown by the figures. Each extra attendance means a very considerable extra expenditure of time. No doubt some of the increase in the work is dictated by the difficulty of obtaining sanatorium accommodation in cases where it is really desirable, and it is fortimate that this alternati^'e method of controlling the disease and its spread can be put into operation at the Clinic. X ray examinations have again increased markedly in number. Care and After Care.—The Cambridgeshire Tuberculosis After Care Association made its usual valuable contribution towards the work of controlling tuberculosis during 1945, and the County Council showed its recognition of this fact by increasing its grant from the annual level of €250 to £350. A record number of patients was assisted, namely 9 men and 34 women. The arrangements under the terms of Memo 266/T of the Ministry of Health have now become a routine method of giving assistance in appropriate cases. The number of new applications in 1945 was 32 as against 21 in 19If. Of the 32 cases, only 5 received