The importance of the First World War for: the role of women in medicine improvements in medical treatment surgery x-rays blood transfusion and fighting infection. Flashcards
Why did the first world war cause accelerations in medecine
The amount of casualties put massive strain on existing medical resources at the time and led to developments in treatments for wounds causing by fighitng
Why were most soldiers in world war getting injured
Shrapnel or bullets, when bombs exploded people around it would be piereced by pieces of the metal, the clothes would go with it allowing infections to foster. Poison gas such as mustard gas, chlorine gas, e.t.c
How were conditions in the trenches for world war 1 soldiers
Unhealthy, there were fat rats from eating bits of food but also dead bodies, body lice, and finally trench foot which was when feet were always in wet socks
Where were 4 main medical problems for soldiers in the first world war
Trench foot, trench fever, dysentery, and shell shock
What is trench foot and what was attempted to solve it
Painful swelling of feet that could develop into gangerene. The solutions were to change socks regularly and to douse with whale oil. If gangerene developed amputation was necessary
What is trench fever and what was attempted to solve it
Flu like symptoms high fevers. The solutions delousing stations as the causation was body lice
What is shell shock and what was attempted to solve it
Complete mental break downs, headaches, tiredness, e.t.c. solutions were being shot or called cowardly as many didn’t believe in this. Higher ranked soldiers could be sent back to London for proper treatment in Hospitals.
What is dysentery and what was attempted to solve it
A diseases that caused diarrhoea, and could cause death from dehydration. It was caused by infected food, water, and patients. Solution was to add chloride of limes to purify the water but many soldiers chose not to bc. the taste.
How did the British set up a system of medical care for the soldiers
There was a front line station for immidiete attention called Regimental Aid Post, more advanced help was behind at Dressing Stations, and then critical conditions went to the casualty clearing station. Most severe conditions or high ranked soldiers went to base hospitals
What did casualty clearing stations have to deal with?
They had to deal with surgeons dealt with horrific gunshot wounds, and others. Because of the fact only long term patients were being transferred to base hospital. They started experimenting with treatments. The issue were that soldiers wouldn’t die immieidetly but would die of infection if there was no x ray machine to locate all of the shrapnel
Who were the nurses working with the world war 1 doctors
The Queen Alexandria’s Imperial military nursing service. Founded in 1902 with less than 300 members but when they entered war with more than 10,000 members.
How did women contribute to the world war 1 war effort
If they weren’t nurses, they were drivers, among other duties. Most being middle class single women.
Were there female doctors on the war front in world war 1
No, despite it being. years since 1876 female doctors weren’t welcomed. Female doctors volunteered to build hospitals and treat but were rejected as the government beleived they had enough male doctors. So female doctors sent supplies or were included in teams to send things or built base hospitals.
What was the role of voluntary hospitals
They improved the gaps of the medical system the british government set up. For example many soldiers were dying in the transport from casualty clearing stations to base hospitals. Voluntary hospitals were taking lots of surgery and patients
How were Women in medicine on the home front?
There was a vaccum of medical staff in Britain as half of all medical staff moved to support the front lines. More women were being accepted into universities and hospitals.
Did females role during the role change societies view of them?
No, while during the war they had jobs but still were treated like servants or slaves even. Immidietly aftern univeirsities stopped acceepting less female studes, femal doctor reeplaced.
How did world war 1 improve blood transfusions
Blood loss was a major issue during the war, the high numbers of casualties made scientists desperate to find ways to make blood transfusions more efficient. With several scientists in between 1915 and 16 who found ways from adding Sodium Citrate or refrigeration to stop blood from clotting.
What new techniques in surgery did world war 1 cultivate
Because gas gangerene was such an issue various techniques such as excision and feeding sterilized salt solution could solve this issue
What is gas gangerene
a highly lethal infection of soft tissue
What is excision
The removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue from site of wound
What other problem did world war 1 solve other than gas ganergene for broken legs
Broken bones that would protrude out of skin creating a open wound, this inspired ways to keep the leg still by the thomas splint as they went from front lines to the casualty clearing station
What was done for amputatees
There were inventions of prosthethics but used many materials and took long to make.
What did American neurosurgeon Cushing do during world war one
When american neurosurgeon Cushing experimented with using magnets to draw out pieces of metal from wounds
What improvements were done in plastic surgery during WW1
While before WW1 there was already skin grafting a New Zealand doctor tried a technique called pedicle tube where you grow a flap of skin till you add it.
