A FIGHT FOR LIFE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22568, 11 May 1935, Page 10

A FIGHT FOR LIFE

CHILD CONTRACTS TETANUS RESPONSE TO TREATMENT (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, May 10. A girl aged five years who was admitted to the Auckland Hospital a week ago suffering from tetanus in its advanced stages is now well on the way to recovery. It is extremely rare for cures to be effected when the disease has a strong hold and the recovery of the young patient, representing as it does something in the nature of a medical triumph, is 'a source of considerable gratification to the hospital staff, particularly to the young resident doctor who was chiefly concerned with the case. " The child is not yet out of danger," said Dr Craven, medical superintendent at the hospital, discussing the case. "After a fight for life such as she has had there is always the risk of heart failure. The little girl was in an extremely bad way when she was admitted —in fact, she was in such a condition that the chances of her recovery seemed remote. During the last two or three days, however, there has been such a marked improvement as to suggest that she has an excellent chance of complete recovery." Dr Craven said the girl was admitted on May 3, and the disease was so far advanced that she was suffering from convulsions. In the majority of cases when tetanus had advanced to that stage the disease generally proved fatal. The general form of treatment was followed, the child being kept as quiet as possible in a darkened room. Injections of antitetanic serum were given and sedatives were also administered to grant relief from the convulsions which racked the little patient's body. For several days the fight for the child's life continued. Occasionally there would be an improvement, but a relapse would follow, and the patient required constant care and attention. Throughout last week-end the girl's condition remained critical, but last Tuesday there was sufficient improvement to give the doctors cause for hope. That improvement had since been maintained, and the progress made by the child in the last 72 hours had been highly encouraging. Dealing with tetanus, one authority states that in the absence of anti-toxin treatment the prospect of recovery is extremely remote when, the symptoms of the disease arise within a week of the injury through which the infection takes place. If the symptoms are noticed within ten days, the prospects are bad, but if they do not come on until three weeks or so after the injury there is hope. Most authorities agree that there should be prompt treatment as soon as the symptoms are noticed. Fatal results generally follow when treatment is delayed until the disease is at an advanced stage.