세브란스病院 小兒病室 患者의 死亡者에 關한 統計的 觀察

Abstract

[한글]

[영문]

It is impossible to obtain accurate vital statistics because of poor present health organization and social condition up to date in Korea. Moreover reporting o death may be reported by herb doctors who did not graduate from the medical school and do not know modern medicine, but have passed the national herb doctor

examintion and allowed to used herb medine in this country.

In these conditions, classification of causal factors of death is difficult. Even under these circumstances, Mills attempted to report about infant mortality in 1911, but the cases were too few to be useful. In 1925, Van Buskirk and Mills reported infant mortality and causes of death which was the first time in this

country.

In 1954 and 1957, Yun reported infant and child mortality in a Korean rural area. In 1963, Won reported mortality in a Korean rural area, but in these reports most diagnosis were done by symptoms and clinical course, some of the diagnosis may not have been accurate.

Authors observed patients in Children's ward of Severance Hospital for 7 years from 1957 to 1963, and classified the diseases and causes of death by accurate as diagnosis as possible, used widely all over the world.

Total number of admitted patients in children's ward of Severance Hospital for 7 years from 1957 to 1963 under 14 years of age were 3,199, of whom 429 expired.

Studies were done for annual incidences, sex, age, case fatality rate by diseases, cause of death, age and seasonal incidence. The following results were observed.

1. Of all admitted patients 1,909 were male (59.6%) and 1290 were female (40.4%)

2. Disease incidence was as follows:

Bronchitis and pneumonia 592(18.5%) Gastroenteritis 470(14.6%)

Tuberculosis 326(10.2%) Malnutrition 190(5.9%)

3. According to age, infants below one year of age comprised 36% of all cases.

4. Case fatality rate by diseases showed neonatal tetanus 61.5%, birth trauma 58.8%, congenital anomaly 35.5%, septicemia 34.5%, prematurity 31.0% and meningitis 30.3%

5. Causes of death by age were as follows:

a) In neonatal period, neonatal tetanus was the most frequent (25.8%), and bronchitis and pneumonia 10.8%, birth trauma 7.5% etc.

b) From one month to twelve monthe of age bronchitis and pneumonia were the most frequent(35.8%), and malnutrition(16.4%), gastroenteritis(13.4%), tuberculosis(5.9%).

c) In early childhood from one to four years of age, tuberculosis was the most frequent(37.6%), and bronchitis and pneumonia(12.9%), gastroenteritis(11.9%), meningitis(7/3%)

d) From five to fourteen years of age, tuberculosis was the most frequent(23.7%), and neoplasm and leukemia 9l6%, bronchitis and pneumonia 7.5%, meningitis 7.5%.

Though causes of death were different by age, causes of death in infancy were mostly due to infectious diseases, and the most probable factor was too late to treat.