Impact of the First World War

When was the First World War?

1914-1918

Who discovered X-Rays?

WIlhem Rontgen

When were X-rays discovered?

1895

What were X-rays used for?

X-Rays were used to find metals, or identify broken bones, inside the body

What were the disadvantage of X-Rays?

• They were unreliable

• Could overheat

• Would often take long to scan

• It could only detect metal

What was the impact of these disadvantages?

• Would often stop working

• Could only be used for one hour at a time

• Could vary according to the type of wound and patient’s pain.

• If any piece of clothing or other material entered the wound they wouldn’t be able to recognise and would still cause infection.

Who improved X-rays in 1913?

William Coodlidge, invented the ‘Coodlidge tube’

When did the Coodlidge Tube reach the Western Front?

1917, when USA joined the war.

Who developed mobile X-Rays?

Marie Curie

When did Marie Curie develop mobile X-rays?

1914

What was the impact of X-rays?

• Within 6 months of Rontgen’s discovery, many hospitals had X-Rays installed

• Allowed doctors to see inside the human body without cutting into it (decresing the risk of infection)

• Allowed doctors to identify broken bones and bullet pieces

• Marked the beginning of non-invasive surgery

Why were blood transfusion often unsuccessful?

The blood clotted

Who discovered blood groups in 1900?

Karl Landsteiner

Why was the discovery of blood groups important?

Diffrent blood types couldn’t be mixed together because the blood would clot, blocking the vessels. This discovery made blood transfusion be more successful.

Why was blood loss a problem?

Patients died of blood loss very often in surgeries or because of wounds.

What chemical stopped blood clotting?

Sodium Citrate

When was Sodium Citrate discovered?

1914

Whay was the impact of Sodium Citrate?

Meant that blood could be stored up to four weeks, meaning blood could be transported. This meant that blood lost in surgeries could often be replaced, making surgeries more successful and decreasing the risks of death.

When and where was the first Blood depot (medical unit responsable for the storage of blood) established?

1917 in the Battle of Cambrai

When was the British National Blood Transfusion Service established?

1946

When and where did the first blood transfusion happen?

1915 in the Base Hospital

Who set up a plastic surgery unit for the British army?

Harold gillies

What was Gillies interested in?

reconstructing facial injuries so that people could have a usual apperence.

What is a pedicle tube?

A skin graft technique where the skin is particular cut from a health part of the patient’s body, grown and then attached to the damaged area of the patient to cover any scarring.

What was the impact of plastic surgery?

• By August 1917, men were sent to Queen’s Hospital in Sidcup, kent (a hospital Gillies was involved in designing) to receive plastic surgery.

• By the end of the war nearly 12,000 operations had been carried out.