Bloodloss and WW1 Flashcards
Define Cautery
The use of heat to seal blood vessels and stop bleeding
Define Ligature
A thread tied around a blood vessel to stop bleeding
Define Transfusion
The process of giving blood from a donor to the patient
What methods did Pare use?
Metal clips on arteries
Silk thread to tie blood vessels
What did Karl Landsteiner discover in 1901?
There were different types of blood- A, B and O, AB was added in 1902
Transfusions had to be between people with the same blood group or else the patient died
Why did Landsteiner’s work not have an immediate impact on surgery?
Blood donor still had to be present for a transfusion to take place
Why did WW1 place a new emphasis on ways to store blood?
Many soldiers were dying from blood loss even when a wound was not fatal
What did Richard Lewisohn discover in 1915?
Adding sodium citrate to blood stopped it from clotting
This meant the donor did not have to be present
What did Richard Weil discover in 1915?
Blood could be stored from longer in refrigerated conditions
What did Francis Rous and James Turner discover in 1916?
Adding citrate glucose solution allowed the blood to be stored for longer
If an attack was planned, the army could ‘stock up’ on blood donations ready to treat the wounded
What was set up in 1917?
The first blood depot for the Battle of Cambrai
Blood group O was used as it can be given to all blood types
Define Plastic Surgery
Surgery carried out in order to change the appearance of the patient
Define Prosthetic Limb
Artificial arm or leg often made from metal and plastic
How did WW1 accelerate surgeons training?
Difficult conditions
Large numbers of injuries
Immense pressure
Had to improvise and use new techniques
What new developments in surgical technique came about because of WW1?
How to treat deep wounds caused by explosives
Early attempts at brain surgery due to nature of injuries
Plastic surgery developed
Who set up the first plastic surgery unit in the British Army?
Harold Gilles
How was plastic surgery developed during WW1?
Gilles kept careful records of his work
Gilles developed the idea of the pedicle tube- so skin could be taken from another part of the body and used on the face.
How many men lost limbs because of WW1?
41,000
How were prosthetic limbs advanced?
New light metal alloys
New mechanisms
What were the drawbacks of prosthetic limbs?
Long waiting lists
Patients needed training to use them properly
