feb 3, 1879 - Childbed Fever
Description:
• Facts
o AKA. Puerperal Fever
o The common cause of maternal death. Then after following childbirth.
o Remains major cause of maternal mortality today especially in resource-poor settings
o Semmelweis demonstrated handwashing would reduce the cause of Peurperal Fever through his correct hypothesis statement
• Not Eradicated
• Symptoms/Transmission
o Headache, Elevated temperature, Chills, Vomiting, Dry tongue and lips, Abdominal tenderness, Foul smell
• Treatment
• Historical Events
o 1879: Bacteria identified
o 1930s: antibiotics introduced
o 18th century: 5-20% of mothers giving birth in hospitals would die of the disease and 70-100% of women in smaller hospitals would have severe outbreaks
o 19th century: Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital in London had 17x higher death rates than women delivering in “worst slums” at East end
Added to timeline:
Diseases
Date:
Images:
![]()
