Infantile Diarrhoea and Vomiting

Infantile Diarrhoea and Vomiting

“…Comparison of the dehydration rates with those quoted in previous series (Campbell and Cunningham, 1941 ;Alexander and Eiser, 1944) shows that the cases were as severe as any likely to be encountered in a representative sample of infants with enteritis and comparable with any other such sample. The majority of the infants (320) were under the age of 6 months on admission, and 17 of the 22 deaths occurred in this group.…”

“…The possibility of such an occurrence, especially in an open ward, must, however, be borne in mind. The observations in a previous series (Alexander and Eiser, 1944) are of interest in this connexion. In that series the infants were nursed in two different wards-an " open " barrier ward and a single-cell barrier ward.…”

“…The methods of treatment were based on previously reported experience (Alexander and Eiser, 1944). The underlying principles are of sufficient importance in practice to merit restatement.…”

Infection in infancy

“…In such cases half-strength serum or plasma intravenously should follow and alternate with the Hartman solution, and this anti-shock treatment has been of the greatest value in saving the lives of infants with gastro-enteritis. Thus in a series of sixty-nine dehydrated babies treated in this way by Alexander and Eiser (1944) at the North Western Hospital, the fatality-rate was 11-6 per cent. which may be contrasted with a more usual figure around 50 per cent.…”

Penicillin in infections of infancy

“…Many statistics are available in the literature. One of the latest surveys, for example, is that by Alexander and Eiser (1944) who found evidence of parenteral infection in 88-6 per cent. of their cases, the bulk of this infection taking the form of upper respiratory infection and otitis media.…”