Medicinal Developments 20th century that were employed on the Front Flashcards
Thanks to Joseph Lister’s development of ______ acid, aseptic surgery was now a possibility on the western front
carbolic
Thanks to James Simpson’s development of _________ the problem of pain in surgery was now solved
chloroform
A large issue with carrying out surgery on the western front was…
blood loss and infection due to this
Who discovered blood groups and why was this important?
Landsteiner discovered that not all blood groups were compatible, setting the stage for successful blood transfusions in the future.
This discovery meant that if a patient and potential
donor were a match and were in the same room, a blood transfusion was possible. They needed to be in the same room because it was not possible to collect and store blood because it would clot.
Who discovered blood banks and storing blood?
Oswald Hope Robinson - A US Army doctor, Robertson established the first blood bank on the Western Front in 1917, using sodium citrate to prevent blood from clotting and storing it for later use.
Who discovered a method to bring blood banks close to the trenches?
Geoffrey Keynes:
A British doctor, Keynes developed a portable transfusion kit, which allowed for transfusions to be carried out near the front lines
Brain Surgery - problem? who? what?
- Very few doctors had had experience with neurosurgery before the war. There had been difficulties moving men with head injuries since they were unconscious.
- Harvey CUSHING was a key person who helped develop new techniques in brain surgery in Britain.
- He experimented with the use of magnets to remove metal fragments from the brain - he also developed the use of local anaesthetic which had fewer risks.
Increased survival rate massively.
Plastic surgery - problem? who? what?
Many soldiers ended up with facial disfigurements and impairments and this was troubling as it would prevent them from feeling ordinary and perhaps even lose a sense of self - also aesthetic reasons.
Harold GILLES was a surgeon who was interested in plastic surgery. He developed a method that consisted of removing flesh and tissue from one part of the body and using it to repair and reshape facial features, with the hopes of helping soldiers fit in and feel themselves again.
Set up his own hospital in Kent, designed so that it matched his needs.
First use of plastic surgery.
X rays
X-rays
were discovered in 1895 by Röntgen. He realised that the rays could pass through paper, wood and human flesh but not through metal or bone. By the end of the 19th century, X-ray machines were being used in hospitals to identify broken bones.
The ability to identify metal ‘foreign objects’ such as pieces of metal from
shrapnel shells
or bullets, and locate broken bones, would help hugely once the technology was trialled on the Western Front.
Thomas Splint
The thomas splint was used for those soldiers who had fractured or broken bones. It was common for injuries and blood loss to worsen due to the bad terrain and difficulties transporting soldiers back to hospitals - kept the leg in places and stopped it from shaking.
The Thomas splint revolutionized the treatment of lower limb injuries, particularly during World War I, where it reduced mortality from fractures from 80% to 20%.
Carrel-Dakin Method
Dakin solution was a sodium based solution that was used to sterilise wounds, and prevent infections. Infection was a very serious problem at the time, and even caused death. This consisted of putting solution in the would using a tube. The Carrel-Dakin method significantly reduced the risk of infection and improved the survival rate of wounded soldiers. It was a major breakthrough in wound care during World War I and beyond.
Could not be used on severe infections like Gas Gangerene though because that was too difficult and needed amptuation.
The Carrel-Dakin solution (a sodium hypochlorite solution) was used instead of carbolic acid (phenol) because it was more effective at killing bacteria in wounds without damaging healthy tissue, and it didn’t lose its potency in the presence of blood serum
