Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-24
Non-Pa raIytic Polio
Expense Discussed
Doctors Told
Diagnosis Bears
On Poyinq Cost
BY CHARLES G. BROOKS

may AFFECT many families here.
a special meeting of District and
nearby health department Of
ficials was told yesterday.
The group heard that the ma
jority of cases hitherto diagnos-
ed as non-paralytic polio are
not caused by the polio virus at
all. The symptoms are caused
by many different viruses.
And, DR.. Robert Parrot, chief
of medicine at Children's Hos
.pital, declared, this fact places
a large responsibility on ply
Sicians who know that the Ma
tional Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis pays for the care Of
polio victims only.
This situation not fully recog-
nized until the impact of the
Salk vaccine cut down the num-
Der of paralytic polio cases and
more attention could be paid to
the non-paralytic cases.
The group. meeting at the call
of DR.. Parrott, included rep
resentatives from the District
Health Department and most
of the health departments
in the nearby counties, as we'll as
representatives of the National
| Foundation for Infantile Paraly.
sis.
Mystery Illness
They met with members of the
hospital medical staff, who
sought advice from the delegates
in diagnosing these mysterious
cases of illness which look like
non-paralytic polio.
DR.. Parrott told the group
that, for years, illnesses in the
summer often have been called
polio with or without the dreaded
paralysis. In the last few years,
however, he added, it has become
evident that much so-called nom
Iparalytic polio results from large
numbers of other viruSes.
These maladies are generally
known to physicians as the asep-
tic meningitis syndrome, which
may involve any number of diff
ferent symptoms resembling
types of polio. Sometimes it is
called "aSeptic meningitis, pos
sibly poliomyelitis."
In the past, it is believed,
many cases of these different ILL
nesses have been dubbed Polio
and received free foundation
care.
Illnesses ShOrt-Lived
In most instances, however,
these illnesses are short-lived.
More and more are being recog-
nized as more and more viruses
are being identified.
Usually, DR.. PARROT said, it il
impossible to tell whether the
illness is caused by a polio virus
VI SOLleIIllIlg else.
In fact, he added, if the case is
not paralytic land if you are to
be completely objective" the
, physician must concede that
from SO to rs per cent of these
cases are not polio at all.
He pointed out that in some
research laboratories certain
cases of suspected polio dating
back to 1852 are still being
studied to determine the actual
nature of the disease and its
; cause.
Financial Question
The physician, who recently
left the National Institutes Of
Health to become associated with
Children's Hospital, then de-
clared that all of this raises q
question which must raise its
ugly head-that is one Of
finances"
Patients with polio receive
medical treatment and hospital
ization from the National Found
alton for Infantile Paralysis.
Depending upon the local chap
ter's policies, patients also may
receive free periods of observa-
ton If it is suspected they have
polio.
Yesterdays discussion was
largely "off the record" How
ever one representative from the
Foundation declared that, III
physicians in their sound medical
judgment here say it is polio,
we will take it,"
Up to Hospital Stats
This shifted the burden back
to the hospital stats to make
the final decisions.
DR.. William Woodbridge of the
District Health Department de-
clared, I'VE accept the diagnosis
of Children's Hospital" Actually,
however, DR.. Woodbridge, who is
in the departments Commune
cable Disease Division, added
that 1t might be best If only
paralytic polio were to be dag
nosed as polio.
DR.. Parrot announced that
the National Institutes of Health
and Children's Hospital have
initiated a Joint research pro-
gram in an attempt to speed up
accurate diagnoses Of polio. He
emphasized, however, that the
health officers could not expect
immediate results.
At the request Of some Of the
health officers. DR.. Parrot prom
ised his institution would continue
to report suspected polio cases.
But, he added. in lieu OF def
mite recommendations by the
group, his medical staff would
decide in another meeting on tire
problem Of the actual diagnosis
Of a non-paralytic case as polio
Probably, he said, it will he
left up TO the individual phy-
sician.
.lnu:1a q.