Infection Flashcards
When did Louis Pasteur discover and publish his germ theory?
1861 - 1864
What did germ theory end?
The black period of surgery in 1867
What did germ theory mean?
Germ theory suggested germs caused disease and these germs could be killed by heat
Who invented carbolic acid / spray?
Joseph Lister
Why and how was carbolic acid discovered?
Lister wondered if carbolic acid could kill germs in an infection like it did in sewage. He knew of germ theory and wondered if it could explain the high death rate in surgery
He found that if the bandage was soaked in carbolic acid before covering the wound, an infection would not occur
Death rate dramatically decreased
It was produced in a spray form to cover surgeons hands and instruments.
Why did some people not follow Lister’s methods?
Some surgeons had good survival rates without the use of carbolic acid (often by accidentally sterilising their environments)
Lister constantly revised his methods and so people thought he was unsure of his ideas and difficulty of communication meant many people would be using outdated methods of his
Who developed the steam steriliser?
Koch developed the steam steriliser which was an easier way of preventing the spread of infection rather than using carbolic spray
Why did people oppose Lister?
- Carbolic spray created a nasty working environment (irritated skin, nasty smell, costly)
- He wasn’t trusted due to constantly changing methods
- Some of his methods didn’t work when copied due to instructions not being followed accurately
- Lister was not likeable, he was cold, arrogant, critical
- Did not allow surgeons to show off their speed
How was bloodloss overcome before blood transfusions?
Cauterisation = extremely painful
Tourniquets = cuts off supply
Silk thread = less painful, not always reliable, tied vessels
Why were blood transfusions not possible until the late 1800s
They did not know about blood types until the 1890s
Blood hardened when it was left out, they needed a way of keeping it runny
Why was bloodloss a major problem in surgery?
The patient would die if their blood wasn’t circulating, taking oxygen to different organs
Although bleeding could be stopped, why didn’t this help the problem of bloodloss?
There was no way to replace the blood lost as the patient usually bled heavily, and they would die
Who discovered different blood groups in 1901?
Karl Landsteiner
How did the discovery of blood groups help blood loss treatment to progress?
Scientists now understood the blood groups of the patient and the donor needed to be the same for a successful transfusion
They still had not solved blood hardening and so the donor needed to be there for the transfusion
What did Francis Rous and James Turner discover in 1916?
Adding a citrate-glucose to the blood allowed it to be stored for even longer without cells deteriorating quickly.
