World War I
At the outbreak of World War I, the medical field was just becoming aware of the link between wound exposure and infection. Armed with this new, highly under-researched theory, doctors on the front lines took new precautions in order to potentially prevent the spread of disease, hoping that it would result in more soldiers' lives being saved. Wounds became infected not only from insufficient cleaning but also from the dirt and dirty clothes that often became stuck inside them when the injury was incurred. One of the most basic steps taken was to separate the patients in the field hospitals by type of wound or disease, putting similar cases together, in order to prevent cross-infection. Infected limbs were amputated immediately in order to lower the risk of death from gangrene which, due to the stunning developments being made in prosthetics at the time, was far less debilitating than it had been in previous years. Mobile laboratories and vaccintion stations were also utilized to avoid the diseases entirely, offering vaccines for typhoid and antitoxins to counteract what toxins might already be in the body.
At the outbreak of World War I, the medical field was just becoming aware of the link between wound exposure and infection. Armed with this new, highly under-researched theory, doctors on the front lines took new precautions in order to potentially prevent the spread of disease, hoping that it would result in more soldiers' lives being saved. Wounds became infected not only from insufficient cleaning but also from the dirt and dirty clothes that often became stuck inside them when the injury was incurred. One of the most basic steps taken was to separate the patients in the field hospitals by type of wound or disease, putting similar cases together, in order to prevent cross-infection. Infected limbs were amputated immediately in order to lower the risk of death from gangrene which, due to the stunning developments being made in prosthetics at the time, was far less debilitating than it had been in previous years. Mobile laboratories and vaccintion stations were also utilized to avoid the diseases entirely, offering vaccines for typhoid and antitoxins to counteract what toxins might already be in the body.
World War II
Penicillin
Arguably one of the most influential and important advances made during World War II was the development of penicillin. Discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, penicillin first became mass produced and widely used during World War II. The prudent administration of the antibiotic was found to be invaluable in the treatment and prevention of a wide variety of infections, including gangrene, gonorrhea, and syphilis. The Second World War served as the catalyst to the mass production of penicillin as the demand for the antibiotic increased on an exponential scale. Over 400 million doses were manufactured in the 1943 to treat wounded soldiers, and after the conclusion of the war penicillin continued to be made available to the general population.
Sulfanilamide
Sulfanilamide, an antibacterial drug, was discovered during the war to have the ability to kill deadly strains of bacteria, such as streptococcal bacteria. Known more commonly as sulfa drugs, these were used to treat strep, meningitis, and pneumonia. Medics carried sulfanilamide powder packets with them to pour on open wounds to prevent infections, which reduced the amount of time wounds had to fester and greatly increased a wounded soldier's chances of survival. Along with the addition of sulfanilamide came Atrabine. This drug was used to treat malaria, which was prevalent in the Pacific Theater. However, Atrabine produced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and headaches so often that many soldiers began refusing to take it and opted to take their chances with the disease or find a different form of treatment.
Penicillin
Arguably one of the most influential and important advances made during World War II was the development of penicillin. Discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, penicillin first became mass produced and widely used during World War II. The prudent administration of the antibiotic was found to be invaluable in the treatment and prevention of a wide variety of infections, including gangrene, gonorrhea, and syphilis. The Second World War served as the catalyst to the mass production of penicillin as the demand for the antibiotic increased on an exponential scale. Over 400 million doses were manufactured in the 1943 to treat wounded soldiers, and after the conclusion of the war penicillin continued to be made available to the general population.
Sulfanilamide
Sulfanilamide, an antibacterial drug, was discovered during the war to have the ability to kill deadly strains of bacteria, such as streptococcal bacteria. Known more commonly as sulfa drugs, these were used to treat strep, meningitis, and pneumonia. Medics carried sulfanilamide powder packets with them to pour on open wounds to prevent infections, which reduced the amount of time wounds had to fester and greatly increased a wounded soldier's chances of survival. Along with the addition of sulfanilamide came Atrabine. This drug was used to treat malaria, which was prevalent in the Pacific Theater. However, Atrabine produced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and headaches so often that many soldiers began refusing to take it and opted to take their chances with the disease or find a different form of treatment.