Author reviewed. the experience with 50 cases seen at the Ewha Womans University Hospital in Seoul between January 1967 and December 1977._ with an overal mortality of 50.05110 from the disease. The average number of patients in the annual incidence was 4~5 cases, which was 0.8% of the total admitted patients of pediatrics in our hospital. Monthly distribution revealed as the highest in summer (42, 0%) and _the male to female ratio was 3.2 : 1. Compared with Seoul and the rural area of its outbreak, there was a significantly higher in Seoul (82.0%) than in the rural area (18-0%). Neonatal tetanus was a serious problem in some areas -of our country where modern aseptic techniques were not
employed. And the umbilical contamination by the dirty scissor was the highest source of infection (66.0o): Seventy-two percent of 50 cases -was delivered in the. contaminated environment. -The incubation period was extremely variable but the usual range, was 5 to 7 days (36 cases). A short incubation (less than 10 days) was associated with a higher mortality rate (55.6%)´than the incubation period over than 10 days with `a mortality of 14.3%. The most common chief complaint on admission was the stop sucking (86.0.o). The others were convuls on (62.0%), trismus (32.0/), fever (30.0%), irritability(18. 0961), spasticity (16.0%) in orders. There was a significant correlation between fever and the outcome._. The cases who,were mild.-degree in the temperature:(37´~37*9´Q had a better chance of recovery (62.5%). The mean hospital day in the improved cases was 21 days. The percentage of the beginning of the sucking ability within ´1 to 2 weeks after the onset of the disease was high as 56.0%. The sucking power was normalized within the 4 weeks after the onset of the disease in all of the improved cases.
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