Journal of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
Online ISSN : 1884-5681
Print ISSN : 0021-4817
ISSN-L : 0021-4817
Volume 31, Issue 2
Displaying 1-1 of 1 articles from this issue
  • Tokuo YANAGISHITA, Junichi OGAWA, Tadashi HABU
    1957 Volume 31 Issue 2 Pages 45-51
    Published: May 20, 1957
    Released on J-STAGE: November 25, 2011
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    1. Clinical and statistical investigations were carried out on 4122 patients admittedto the Toyotama Hospital under the diagnosis of scarlet fever during the period 1946-1955.
    2. Six hundred and one cases out of 4122 had been erroneously diagnosed. They were mainly lzumi fever, drug erruptions etc. and are differential-diagnostically quite different from those in prewar days.
    3. The classification of the remaining 3521 cases was as follows. 3506 angina scarlatinosa, 12 surgical scarlet fever and 3 puerperal scarlet fever. Two cases of fulminating scarlet fever were included in angina scarlatinosa.
    4. Yearly distribution: There were epidemics with minor intensity during the period 1946-1951 and epidemics with major intensity during the period 1953-1955.
    5. Age distribution: A high peak was observed around the 5 th year in the period of major prevalence. No such peak was, however, recognized in the period of minor prevalence.
    6. Monthly distribution: A peak was observed in November in the period of major prevalence (1953-1954), while few seasonal changes were seen in the period of minor prevalence (1946-1951).
    7. Sex distribution: M: F-48.9: 51.1
    8. Cases with family infection: In 160 cases more than two members of the family contracted the disease. The so called “return cases” were 17.
    9. Symptoms: The symptoms differed in no essential way from those in prewar days. But angina and fever have become milder, apparently due to the arrest of development in its early stages by the general use of antibiotics.
    10. The rate of positive culture of hemolytic streptococcus: It was 97.9%, when the patients had not received any special treatment either before or after the admission. Otherwise they showed a remarkably low percentage.
    11. Complications: In recent years complications have been reduced and have become milder, while both the exacerbation of angina following unsatisfactory treament with antibiotics and the complete relapse of the disease with rash in spite of satisfactory treatment are on the increase.
    12. The fatality rate was 0.19%. The causes for death were pneumonia, fulminating scarlet fever and diphtheria (as a complication).
    13. Treatment: the method of the treatment of scarlet fever has greatly changed during the past ten years. Today 90% of the patients are treated with antibiotics, especially with penicillin.
    Download PDF (1029K)
feedback
Top