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Thomas Splint
Thomas splint was invented by Hugh Owen Thomas during the beginning of the war. It was said that "At the beginning of the conflict in 1914, 80% of soldiers with broken thigh bones died. The use of the Thomas splint meant that, by 1916, 80% of soldiers suffering that injury survived". This invention was extraordinary and simple when it came to immobilizing soldiers allowing them to heal. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-28678392 -
Sanitation Practices
One of the biggest impacts when it came to saving peoples lives at this time was the increase in sanitation and lack of infection spreading.
http://vlib.us/medical/coll256.htm -
Treatment of Soldiers
During WW1 the treatment of how soldiers that were cared for changed drastically. The process was stream lined allowing soldiers to be treated quicker and more effectively. -
X-Ray Truck was invented by Marie Curie
Marie Curie modified a truck at the time to create portable X-Ray machine to help treat soldiers. The truck played a large role in the battle of the Marne.
https://theconversation.com/marie-curie-and-her-x-ray-vehicles-contribution-to-world-war-i-battlefield-medicine-83941 -
SS Red Cross offers aid
SS Red Cross offering aid to the soldiers across the sea is sailed with over 170 surgeons and nurses. This ship is later named the "Mercy Ship". -
First Non Human to Human Blood Transfusion
The first citrate blood transfusion was preformed on November 14, 1914 by Professor L. Agote. He was the first to perform a non-direct blood transfusion using sodium citrate as an anticoagulant -
Red Cross Aid ends
Germany's blockade officially blocked all aid to the allied powers at this time. The aid was forced to return home cutting off all help to these nations. https://redcrosschat.org/2017/11/01/ss-red-cross-offers-aid-at-outbreak-of-world-war-i/ -
Phantom Limb Syndrome
Amputees were still suffering from pain after having their limbs removed. In 1916 Dr. Marmaduke Shield wrote that post-amputation pain was “a source of intolerable suffering to [his amputee patients], and of despair to those who fit them with artificial limbs." http://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/161834/ww1-surgeons-could-little-amputees-pain/ -
Blood transportation
Oswald Hope Robertson created a plausible blade transportation system allowing blood to be moved with out requiring the patients to be next to one another. This allowed transfusions to be preformed anywhere, creating the possibility to save many more lives.
