Special Report On Incidence Of H-Bug

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28261, 26 April 1957, Page 17

Special Report On Incidence Of H-Bug

■h: caU for a re P°rt on the incidence of the H-bug in Canterbury was made by Miss M. B Howard, M.P., at Wednesday’s meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The Medical Superintendent (Dr. T. z Morton) will make a report to the next meeting.

‘‘For some years past, there has been a striking upward trend in the use of antibiotics,” said the annual report presented to the meeting. “This year, however, for the first time for several years, this trend has been reversed, in spite of the increases in the cortisone group?’ Last year’s expenditure on special drugs was £4593, at £34,176, lower in 1955-56. The falling off in the use of antibiotic drugs was remarkable, said Miss Howard. Why was the use Of them not so great she asked. Was it found that they were not effective? Was it that the H-bug was on the decline? Were there any figures on “the amount of H-bug around?” It was very disturbing to people, said Miss Howard. She had had an infection and she understood that the Aranui district was alive with it. She had the effects on her face still. She had remained in isolation as she did not want to be responsible for the spread of the infection. “Bad Effects” “There are people in this hospital who have come in for other treatment and have suffered from the H-bug with very bad effects,” she said. “I think the H-bug is

a very serious thing. We don’t hear much discussion of it. I wonder whether we know what it is and whether we are doing anything about overcrowding, which seems to make it worse.

“Are we doing anything about cleaning up some of the nasty places in this hospital? There were some very disturbing places about this hospital and I have found, as a result also of my nosing-round in the last six weeks, that they have been cleared up. I drew the chairman’s attention to it and they have been cleared up. “The H-bug is in the maternity hospital at Burwood,” said Miss Howard. Scientific Tests With the development of antibiotics and different drugs, bacteriologists and pathologists now had methods to find which drugs were sensitive to organisms, said the chairman, Dr. Averill. No drug was now given unless sensitivity was proved. “There is no doubt about it that a large number of organisms are insenstive to penicillin, which is not so much used now unless it is proved by the tests that it will be of value in treating the infection,” said Dr. Averill. Asked to give his views, the Medical Superintendent (Dr. T. Morton) said it was too big a question and he would prefer to give a reasoned report. Miss Howard moved that Dr. Morton bring down a report. This was passed by the board.