Blood Loss

Question 1

Before being able to control blood loss, what did surgeons do?

Answer 1

• Cauterisation; hot iron onto wound or pouring hot oil over it to seal blood vessels
• Tourniquets; method of cutting off blood supply
• Silk thread; tie the blood vessels after an amputation

Question 2

What were the problems with the methods used before the control of blood loss?

Answer 2

• Cauterisation; very painful
• Silk thread; even tho this was a less painful method than the use of tourniquets, it did not always stop the bleeding if it was no tied properly and silk comes from works which is unhygienic

Question 3

Transfusions could be now be carried out but…..

Answer 3

The donor needed to be present

Question 4

What did James Blundell do?

Answer 4

Give blood transfusions to 10 people between 1825-1830 and half of these transfusion led to death

Question 5

Who performed the first successful transfusion?

Answer 5

Reuben Ottenberg, but blood clotted when stored outside of the body so the the patient and donor must be together

Question 6

Who discovered the different blood groups and when?

Answer 6

Karl Landsteiner in 1901

Question 7

In what year was it discovered that adding sodium citrate stopped blood clotting?

Answer 7

1915

Question 8

What did Francis Rous and James Turner discover in 1916?

Answer 8

Adding a citrate glucose solution allowed blood to be stored for longer periods without cells deteriorating as quickly

Question 9

What happened during the Battle of Cambrai in 1917?

Answer 9

The first blood depot was set up, using type O blood which can safely be given to all patients

Question 10

What did Richard Lower do?

Answer 10

Transferred blood between two dogs