Medical techniques developed on the battlefield

• What was the main use of x-rays?

  To identify shell fragments and bullets in wounds that could cause infection if not removed
• Positives of x-rays

  They were mobile
• Negatives of x-rays


  • Could not detect all objects in the body (e.g clothing driven in by bullets)
  • Had too stay still for too long
  • Tubes were fragile and overheated too quickly so machines could only be used for one hour at a time
• When did blood transfusions start on the Western Front?

  1915
• How did blood transfusions work?

  A syringe and tube was used to transfer the blood to stop the patient going into shock
• What progress had been made in 1915 for blood storage?

  • Richard Lewisohn discovered that by adding sodium citrate to blood, the need for donor-to-donor transfer was not needed
  • Richard Weil discovered that by adding sodium citrate to blood, blood could be stored for up to two weeks
• What progress had been made in 1916 for blood storage?


  Francis Rous and James Turner discovered that by adding citrate glucose to blood, it could be stored for up to four weeks
• Negatives of blood transfusions

  Blood would clot