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Patient 81/50
This girl was admitted having been diagnosed with tuberculosis previously. Her family history identifies her as one of many to have contracted the infection, her mother having died of rheumatic heart problems was as queried as pulmonary tuberculosis (PT); one sister who died from PT aged 5; a brother who was under observation for the disease and a step sister also with PT. Both maternal grandparents were also suspected to have died of tuberculosis.
Her general condition on admission states she was pale and thin and her chest wall is described as being very thin with the presence of rales, a rattling sound in the lungs. Her sputum reports identified the present of tuberculous infection and her initial x-ray report reads: "marked disease extensive both lungs. ?cavitation left upper lobe, R. apex consolidated. Right base thickened. Old pleurisy extensive mottling."
In September 1938, this girl had made no noticeable improvement and her x-ray report notes advancement of the disease in the right base which is also blocked and the left base shows more mottling. She was put forward for phrenic evulsion on the right phrenic nerve. The x-ray report card describes her condition following the procedure: "Diaphragm raised, lesion has contracted."
The medical notes for this girl are sparse following the procedure with vague references to improvement but with wheezing, haemoptysis and the presence of rales in the lungs still being commented on. Her x-ray reports are clearer and contradictory to the medical notes stating no improvement is seen, in fact by May 1939 there appears to be deterioration: "Much consolidation at r. base with cavity formation. Disease appears to be advancing."
Despite her medical notes for the end of 1939 and into 1940 stating that she was doing well, the x-ray reports continue to show no improvement in this patient and after 114 weeks at Stannington this patient died on 19th March 1940.
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