Thomas H. Sternberg

STUDY OF ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DEATHS OCCURRING IN A DERMATOLOGIC SERVICE

THE INFREQUENT occurrence of a fatal outcome in diseases seen in the average dermatologic practice has been the subject of a quip which the dermatologist hears almost daily and the substance of which he has long since ceased to deny. While it must be admitted that death from cutaneous diseases is unusual, it is by no means rare. In a recent survey at the Los Angeles County Hospital, it was noted that during the period from July 1, 1940 to July 1, 1946, 120 deaths had occurred in the dermatology and syphilology service. The causes of death in this sizable series, available only in a large general hospital, have been analyzed, and the data are presented in this paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS All deaths occurring in the dermatology and syphilology service during the period mentioned were included in the present study. The hospital records of the 120 patients were analyzed