Fighting Disease// past and present Flashcards
Who was the scientist that first introduced the antiseptic solution
Semmelweis
What happened with Semmelweis in the 1840’s
He saw that women were dying in huge numbers after childbirth from a disease
He believed doctors were spreading diseases because of their unwashed hands when they were coming from the morgues to deliver babies
Told doctors on his ward to wash hands in antiseptic solution and cut the death rate from 12% to 2%
What was the disease women contracted after childbirth in theearly 1800’s
Puerperal fever
What hospital did Semmelweis work in
Vienna General Hospital
When did Semmelweis work
1840’s
What was the figures for death rate cut by Semmelweis
12% - 2%
What did the antiseptic solution do
Killed bacteria on the doctors’ hands
Why couldn’t Semmelweis prove his actions
He didn’t know that the antiseptic solution killed bacteria
What happened when Semmelweis left the hospital
His methods were dropped and the death rates began to rise
What do we know nowadays
That basic hygiene is essential in controlling disease
What has fallen dramatically with the use of antibiotics
Death rate from disease
What can bacteria evolve from a genetic mutation
Resistance to antibiotics
What makes bacterial resistance to antibiotics worse
Overuse of antibiotics
What happens to people who are easily infected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria
They find it hard to get rid of them because the usual antibiotic no longer works, therefore they may pass on the infection to others
What does antibiotic resistance in bacteria encourage
Companies to work on the development of new antibiotics that are effective against resistance strains
What are superbugs
Bacteria resistant to common antibiotics
What is happening to superbugs
They’re becoming more common
What is an epidemic
Outbreak of disease
What is a pandemic
Disease spreading all over the world
Why is it hard to develop drugs to control viruses
They mutate often which makes it hard because their DNA makes constant changes through the mutations and this can lead to them having different antigens
When do viruses become a major problem
When they’re very infectious and deadly
What happens if a virus becomes both deadly and very infectious
Precautions are taken and vaccines/antiviral drugs can be developed
What are the two worst cases for new strains on bacteria
Resistant strains - makes current treatment no longer useful
Completely new strain - we haven’t encountered before so no one will be immune
How can an epidemic be caused
If a new strain of bacteria spreads rapidly throughout a population
