Developments in medicine in the early 20th century

• Developments in medicine in the early 20th century

  • Aseptic surgery
  • X-rays
  • Blood transfusions
• Aseptic surgery


  Surgery using precautions to lower the risk of infection from sepsis
• Aseptic surgery


  1. Operating theatres continuously cleaned

  2. All surgical instruments steam sterilised

  3. Surgeons wore rubber gloves, surgical gowns and masks that had been sterilised
• Conditions on the Western Front made many of the principles of cleanliness very difficult to follow, but some techniques were still used
• The ability to identify metal 'foreign objects' such as pieces of metal from shrapnel shells or bullets, and locate broken bones, would help hugely once the technology was trialled on the Western Front
• Blood transfusions


  When people are given blood via a drip
• Incompatible


  Unable to work together
• Compatible


  Able to work together
• Karl Landsteiner discovered the different blood groups and showed that some blood groups are incompatible with one another
• Landsteiner showed that blood transfusions would only work if the blood used was compatible
• Each blood cell contains antibodies that react against the antibodies from a different blood group
• It was not possible to collect and store blood because it would clot
• A patient and potential donor needed to be in the same room for a blood transfusion to be possible