HOSPITAL INFECTIONS

Abstract

A survey of the records of the Infants' Hospital of Boston for the years 1935 and 1936 showed that 185 of the 1,455 patients admitted during the two year period contracted infections in the hospital.¹ Acute infections of the respiratory tract made up 59.8 per cent of the secondary disorders; the next largest group were cutaneous infections, which made up 15.6 per cent. It was apparent that the 906 patients with acute infections of the respiratory tract, including pneumonia, admitted during the two year period as well as persons with similar infections and carriers among the staff, attendants and visitors presented the great source of danger for the other infants in the wards. A concurrent study of hospital infections in the same institution confirmed the findings derived from the survey of the records.² In the cases in which bacteriologic examinations were made direct personnel to patient infections were