Improvements in Medicine & Surgery on the Western Front (Edexcel GCSE History)

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  • True or False?

    When the First World War started there was an understanding of what caused infection in surgery.

    True.

    When the First World War started there was an understanding of what caused infection in surgery. Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory identified that germs cause decay.

  • Define aspectic surgery.

    Aseptic surgery is when surgery can be carried out free of bacteria and the risk of infection.

  • When in the 19th century did surgeons start to wear rubber gloves in surgery?

    Rubber gloves were worn in the 19th-century surgery from 1890.

  • How are germs in the air in a 20th- and 21st-century surgery theatre killed?

    In a 20th and 21st-century surgery theatre germs in the air are killed by being passed through a heating system.

  • What did James Blundell perfom between 1818 and 1829?

    James Blundell performed the first blood transfusion between 1818 and 1829.

  • Who discovered the three main blood groups in 1901?

    Karl Landsteiner discovered the three main blood groups (A, B, and O) by 1901.

  • True or False?

    There were issues with preventing blood clotting before the First World War.

    True.

    There were issues with preventing blood clotting before the First World War. This made storing blood more difficult.

  • What did Richard Lewisohn discover in 1915 about sodium citrate?

    Richard Lewisohn discovered in 1915 that sodium citrate could stop blood from clotting so it could be refrigerated for up to two days.

  • Define gas gangrene.

    Gas gangrene is a severe and potentially life-threatening infection of the soft tissues caused by bacteria, often occurring in contaminated wounds.

  • What was the purpose of wound excision or debridement?

    The purpose of wound excision or debridement is to cut away dead or infected tissue from wounds. This helps to prevent the spread of infection and is followed by stitching the wound closed.

  • True or False?

    The Carrel-Dakin method involved the use of chemical antiseptics like carbolic lotion.

    False.

    The Carrel-Dakin method replaced chemical antiseptics with sterilised salt solutions passed through the wound to treat infections like gas gangrene.

  • How many soldiers in World War One lost their limbs by 1918?

    Over 240,000 soldiers had lost limbs in the First World War.

  • What was the Thomas Splint?

    The Thomas Splint was a medical device used to immobilize fractured limbs, particularly the femur, reducing the risk of blood loss and infection during transportation.

  • When did Doctor Robert Jones design the Thomas Splint?

    Doctor Robert Jones designed the Thomas Splint in 1875 on his uncle - Hugh Thomas - to stop joints from moving.

  • True or False?

    X-rays during the First World War could not detect objects like clothing fragments.

    True.

    X- rays had many drawbacks they were not able to detect objects, they overheated quickly, and soldiers had to remain still during an x-ray for it to be effective.

  • How many mobile X-ray machines did Marie Curie give to the French army during the First World War?

    Marie Curie gave the French army 20 mobile X-rays during the First World War.

  • During the First World War, what device did Geoffery Keynes design which could be used on the frontlines?

    In the First World War Geoffery Keynes designed a portable blood transfusion kit to be used on the frontlines.

  • Were head wounds responsible for 20% of all wounds in the British sector of the Western Front?

    Yes.

    Head wounds were responsible for 20% of all wounds in the British sector of the Western Front. Injuries were mainly the result of bullets and shrapnel.

  • Why were brain injuries dangerous during the First World War?

    Brain injuries were dangerous during the First World War as few doctors had any experience of neurosurgery, soldiers with head injuries were difficult to transport, and infections to the brain were dangerous.

  • Which American neurosurgeon in World War One used magnets to remove metal shrapnel from the brain?

    Harvey Cushing was the American neurosurgeon in World War One who used magnets to remove metal shrapnel from the brain.

  • True or False?

    Harold Gillies developed a specialist hospital in Kent, called the Queen's Hospital.

    True.

    Harold Gillies developed a specialist hospital in Kent, called the Queen's Hospital. By 1917, 12,000 plastic surgeries had been carried out there.