The Impact the Fighting on the Western Front had on Surgery and Medicine

Question 1

How was aseptic surgery used in the early 20th century?

Answer 1

Operating theatres and wards were cleaned
Nurses and surgeons wore sterilised clothing and masks to prevent breath infecting wounds
Robert Koch developed a steam steriliser for instruments in 1876
In 1880 rubber gloves had to be worn when touching a patients to avoid infection

Question 2

Why was it impossible to practice aseptic surgery at WW1 Dressing and Clearing Stations?

Answer 2

Many wounds were already infected by the time they were operated on

Question 3

What three methods were developed in treating wounds and infections during WW1?

Answer 3

The Thomas Splint
Mobile X-ray units
Advances in surgery

Question 4

What was the Thomas Splint for setting broken bones and what problems did it overcome?

Answer 4

Reduced death from broken bones by 20%
Kept bone rigid which reduced blood loss
Previously 80% of soldiers with broken legs died

Question 5

How good were X-Rays in the early 20th century?

Answer 5

They could pass rays through many objects including human flesh but not bone.
required keeping still for a long time
released high doses of radiation - burns and hair loss
large - too heavy to move

Question 6

How did mobile X-Ray units help Base Hospitals and larger clearing stations?

Answer 6

Essential in locating bullets and shrapnel

Question 7

What method for transferring blood was being used at the start of the war?

Answer 7

Animals to humans - people rarely survived

First human to human transfusion - 1818-1829

Question 8

What did Geoffrey Keynes develop?

Answer 8

blood transfusion technology

Question 9

What did Richard Lewisohn discover in 1915?

Answer 9

That sodium citrate stopped blood clotting

Question 10

What did Francis Rous and James Turner discover in 1916?

Answer 10

if you added citrate glucose to blood outside of the body it meant that it could be stored for longer

Question 11

What techniques did Harvey Cushing pioneer?

Answer 11

first physicians to use x-rays to diagnose patients.
Introduced an apparatus to measure blood pressure during operations.
He recommended keeping a record of the patient’s vital signs during operation
First to use electrocoagulation for surgery.
Metal clips for blood vessels
Re-transfusion of blood
Cotton patties

Question 12

What technique did Harold Gillies develop to help restore and replace parts of the face that had been destroyed?

Answer 12

Plastic surgeries