WW1 and medicine Flashcards
Who invented X Rays and what was their use in WW1?
Marie Curie,
allowed for broken bones to be identified and for any metallic objects stuck in the body to be found.
Disadvantages of X rays
radiation was harmful and could cause burns on injured soldiers (was not known at time of WW1)
Overheated after an hour
Wounded would have to stay still (very difficult as often in a lot of pain)
Indirect transfusion
Pioneered by Lawrence Bruce Robertson in 1915
Blood was transfused into patient through a syringe and tube before surgery. This was done using blood previously gathered in bottles.
Storage of blood
In 1916 it was discovered that by adding glucose citrate to blood it could be stored for up to 4 weeks.
This allowed stores of blood to be built up before major battles, increasing chances of survival for the injured as blood was readily available
Used to store blood in blood banks for indirect transfusion. First used in 1917 battle of Cambrai
Why was infection such an issue?
Impossible to have aseptic conditions in war hospitals, therefore infection and gangrene was a major issue
Methods of preventing infection + gangrene
Wound Excision / debridement :
Cutting away of dead, damaged and infected tissue from site of wound.
Done QUICKLY to prevent spread of infection before wound stitched close using catgut ligatures.
Carrel-Dakin method:
Essentially amputation of wounded limbs to prevent spread of infection.
By 1918, 240000 men had lost limbs.
Thomas Splint
Thomas Splint (developed by Robert Jones + Hugh Thomas) introduced in 1915 which worked to keep leg still if broken.
When injured men transported to casualty clearing station their legs moved in process, often worsening injuries + leading to infection, amputation etc.
Thomas splint worked to prevent broken bones from breaking through skin mitigating wounds and helping broken bones recover.
Survival rate for this type of wound went from 20 to 82 percent after splint introduction
Prosthetic limbs
By end of war >240000 men had lost limbs.
Prosthetics became more advanced and in supply as a result being made out of metal alloys etc.
Plastic surgery
Developed by Harold Gillies through use of skin grafts with blood supply, allowing skin to be ‘grown’ and placed on injured part of body.
This often worked for facial reconstruction as Gillies worked a hospital in Kent (set up in 1917)
12000 operations carried out there before end of war in 1918.
Shell Shock
Not understood.
Many shot for cowardice for exhibiting cases of shell shock.
As a result, they were forced back out onto front lines only worsening their conditions.
