All issues > Volume 21(8); 1978

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1978;21(8):595-604. Published online August 31, 1978.

Clinical Observation of Diphtheria.

Chong Uh Lee, Hyung Kee Moon, Jong Woo Shin, No author naem is english No author naem is english

¹Department of pediatrics, College of Medicine, Busan National University, Korea.

Abstract

We have observed clinically 57 cases of diphtheria, admitted to Dept. of Pediatrics and E. N. T. of College of Medicine, Busan National University during a period of past 4 years from Jan. 1973 to Dec. 1976. The following results were obtained from this observation: 1. The yearly prevalence rate seemed not to be reduced throughout 4 years. 2. The seasonal incidence was highest from Oct. to next Feb when 77.5% of cases was de-veloped. Most of cases (82.5%) was below the age 8 years with the sex ratio of male to female, 1.5:1. 3. About one half of cases gad been resided in the rural area. 4. Concerning the degree of the immunization status of diphtheria, 48.3% of cases was never taken, 17.5% unknown, 33.4% inadequate, and 5.3% was adequate. 5. The sites of occurence of dephtheria were pharynx (33.3%) larynx (47.4%) and both (19.3%) 6. 77.2% of cases was found diphtheria organism, which was detected on smear (63.2%) and culture (52.6%) individually. 7. The chief clinical symptoms and signs on admission were dyspnea (77.2%) pseudomemb-rane (77.2%) prostration (75.4%) fever (72.0%) hoarseness (54.4%) cough (50.9%) and the like in order of frequency. 8. Anemia was found in 77.2% leukocytosis in 84.2% of cases. 9. 54.5% of cases had complications, of which myocarditis (22.4%) pneumonia (21.0%)bull neck (14.0%) nephritis (12.2%) and nerve palsy (10.5%) were developed. 10. The onest of myocarditis was the 3th-8th day of depheheria and the most common abnormal ECG finding was the changes of S-T segment and T wave. 11. The morality rate was 12.3% of the total cases (45.5% of mixed type the and 7.4% of laryngeal type were expired). The causes of death were myocarditis (its mortality rate, 46. 1%) and paralysis of diapgragm.

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