Chapter 11 The impact of war and technology on surgery Flashcards
Why is wartime one of the periods when medical techniques and technology are needed the most?
Better medical services mean more soldiers have a chance of surviving, allowing them to return to service and increasing a nation’s chances of victory
What were some new weapons used in the two world wars?
High explosive shells, gas bombs, hand grenades and machine guns
When did the First World War occur?
1914 - 1918
How many military deaths did World War I cause?
The book just states how many people were killed in the First World War
Over 10 million
When did the Second World War occur?
1939 - 1945
How many military deaths did World War II cause?
Answer given as number of people killed, military deaths not specified
Over 20 million
What is shell shock now known as?
PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder
What was shell shock?
Psychological damage caused by the strain of war
What were some effects of shell shock?
Panic attacks, uncontrollable shaking, inability to speak or move
Who discovered blood groups?
Karl Landsteiner
When were blood groups discovered?
1900
When was it discovered that glucose and sodium citrate stopped blood from clotting on contact with the air?
1914
Who discovered that glucose and sodium citrate stopped blood from clotting on contact with the air?
Albert Hustin
When were X-rays discovered?
1895
Who was Harold Gillies?
A London-based army doctor
What did Harold Gillies do?
His work led to the development of plastic surgery
When did Harold Gillies develop plastic surgery?
During the First World War
When did Queen’s Hospital in Kent open?
1917
By 1921, how many beds did Queen’s Hospital in Kent provide for soldiers with severe facial wounds?
Over 1000 beds
How many servicemen had Gillies and his colleagues treated by 1921?
Over 5000
During the First World War, what did surgeons discover was the best way to prevent lethal wound infections?
Cut away the infected flesh and soak the wound in salty (saline) solution
What was the Army Leg Splint (or Keller-Blake Splint)?
A technique which elevated and extended a broken leg “in traction”, which helped the bones knit together more securely
When was the Army Leg Splint developed?
World War I
In what ways did wars (like WWI) have a negative impact on medical progress?
Thousands of doctors taken from normal work to treat casualties; some medical research stopped to concentrate on war effort; warfare caused destruction of libraries and places of learning, research lost
What were areas of medical progress which World War I helped develop?
Shell shock, blood transfusions, X-rays, plastic surgery, infection, broken bones
When was the British National Blood Transfusion Service opened?
1946
Who was Dwight Harken?
An American army surgeon stationed in London during WWII
What did Dwight Harken do?
He cut into beating hearts and removed bullets and bits of shrapnel using his bare hands
When did Dwight Harken do his work which would later contribute to heart surgery’s development?
World War II
Who proposed a free National Health Service for all?
William Beveridge, a civil servant
When was a free National Health Service for all proposed?
1942
What was diphtheria?
A bacterial infection which killed many children
When was a national immunisation programme against diphtheria launched in Britain?
World War II
When had enough penicillin been produced to treat all Allied forces in Europe during World War II?
1944
During World War II, how many children were evacuated from Britain’s towns and cities into the countryside?
Over 1 million children
Why did the diets of people in Britain improve in some ways during World War II?
Shortages of some foods made the government encourage people to grow their own food, which was very healthy
Who was Archibald Mclndoe?
A doctor from New Zealand, and a cousin of Harold Gillies
Where did Archibald Mclndoe trained and work in?
Britain
What did Archibald Mclndoe do?
He used new drugs like penicillin to prevent infection when treating pilots with horrific facial injuries
What are some technological breakthroughs which occurred after the world wars?
Improved anaesthetics; better antiseptics; drugs preventing organ rejection; keyhole surgery; microsurgery
For how long has radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) been used for the treatment of cancer and other diseases?
Over 100 years
According to estimation, how many cancer patients will receive some type of radiation therapy during the course of their treatment?
Book published in 2021
About half
When was a laser first used in an eye operation?
1987
What are lasers increasingly used for?
Eye surgery (still common); treating skin conditions, clearing blocked arteries; removing tumours and ulcers, controlling bleeding
