DEALING WITH INFECTION: The discovery of Antiseptics (1) Learning Objective: 1) To be able to explain why infection was such an issue in 19th Century surgery

Introduction: Write down the following questions in your book: Why was infection a common problem in 19th century operating theatres? Who made the first advance in finding a method to combat infection? What was his discovery called? Now, watch this short YouTube clip and try to find the answers to your questions! (Watch from 3 minutes to 7:30 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2W4u_Gs0cU&feature=related

The missing link… Developments in anaesthetic had changed the way surgery was done. Not just was it an all round better experience for the patient – receiving pain relief, but surgeons themselves now found they could take their time over procedures, and even complete more complex (difficult) operations than they ever could have before. HOWEVER, there was still a missing link – and that was the ability to deal with ‘infection’. In fact, infection had been an issue in surgery for a LONG TIME!

What kind of infection did patients get? The most common kind of post operative infection was gangrene, or ‘sepsis’ to give it its proper medical name. This infection caused decay of the flesh, and was accompanied by a strong smell of rotting flesh! Alongside that it didn’t look very pleasant either. You may wish to look away now if you DON’T want to see the effects of gangrene!....

Gangrene…

Why was infection so common? Before Louis Pasteur proved the existence of germs, and their link to infection and illness in 1861, there was little to no knowledge about hygiene. As such operating theatres, hospital wards, surgeons dress and care during and after operations, was totally different to what it is today. Study to two images on your sheet. One is of an operating theatre in the 19th century, the other is of a modern 21st century operating theatre. Label each picture according to what you can see – or infer! Larger versions of the pictures will be on the next slide.

19th Century 21st Century HINT: Don’t just think about what you can see….think about what you can INFER!

SUMMARY: Based on the two pictures How have surgical conditions changed over time?

Why was infection such a problem in 19th century surgery? Now that you have studied the two pictures, answer this question in your book, giving a full explanation. You should aim to include details on: Surgical Equipment, the clothes worn by the surgeon and his assistants, the cleanliness and conditions not the operation theatre itself (such as having places for an audience) and hygiene. Remember that good answers are FULL answers, which give good explanations and lo0k for links between factors!