UNIT 3ll SOURCE SKILLS

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Dealing with_ infection

Before antiseptics
Many patient::; died from infections after an operation. Surgeons wore clothes covered in dried blood and pus. Some washed their hands, but only with water. Joseph Lister

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In 1861, Lister became a surgeon at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where half the patients died from post-operation infections. His

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The places and equipment used for operations were not hygienic.

experiments led to the development ---_-=..:_J: of antiseptics. In 1877, he became Professor of Surgery at King's College Hospital, London, where many surgeons copied his ideas.

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Development of antiseptics

--------------Opposition to Lister
Some doctors didn't believe Lister's findings. They found that carbolic-acid: made their hands sore slowed operations down, which led to increased blood loss didn't work properly (but this is because they hadn't copied him accurately). Lister changed his methods to improve them, but some thought he changed them because he was unsure, and that the equipment required was heavy ~nd expensive. Others found that soap and water worked equally well.

After reading Pasteur's germ theory in 1864, Lister learned that carbolic acid killed parasites in sewage. In 1865 he soaked bandages in carbolic acid so that_ a wound did not get infected. He used carbolic acid to clean wounds and equipment, and invented a spray to kill germs in the air. In 1867, he stated that his wards had been free from sepsis (infections) for nine months, and published his ideas.

- - -- ------------Aseptic surgery
Operatin<;3 theatres and wards were thorou<;3hly cleaned. 5ur<;3eons and nureee wore sterilised clothin<;3.

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-----In 1878, Robert Mch developed a steam steriliser for 5ur<;3ical instruments. After 1887, all surqical equipment was sterilised. After 1890, anyone

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By 1890, most operations took place in antiseptic conditions (where antiseptics killed germs). Then aseptic conditions were used (where there would be no germs at all).

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touchin<;3 the patient wore rubber <;3loves to stop qerms passinq from their hands to the wound or onto instruments they were usin<;3.

5terilised cloths covered surfaces and equipment.

5ur<;3eons and nureee wore masks to prevent breathin<;3 infection a wound.

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into

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- - - --- try this

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Source B: An operating theatre at St Bartholomew's hospital, London around 1920.

To practise your inference skills, jot down things you can learn from Source B about how hospitals were trying to prevent infection by the 1920s.