New Developments During World War I

During World War I (1914–1918), surgeons and other experts dealt with injuries that they had not seen before the war. New medical techniques and developments were required to save endangered lives on the devastated battlegrounds at a critical time. Blood transfusions were used to treat severe injuries and for hemorrhagic shock. There were several developments in different fields of medicine, especially surgery, from the experience of this tragic war. Major developments were also made in blood transfusion. At the beginning of the war, there were different methods of blood transfusion. Direct blood transfusion with a surgical connection of blood vessels called anastomosis from blood donor to patient, then blood transfusions with cannulas, tubes, syringes, and a cylindrical glass flask. This was done with unmatched blood. As the war continued, new equipment, techniques, and the use of the anticoagulant sodium citrate were introduced, which allowed the blood to be stored for a couple of weeks. This was also advantageous because they did not need to perform a direct blood transfusion. There was also an important discovery about the preservative effect of glucose and RBC. It was also crucial to have a sufficient number of blood donors who were ready to donate blood on short notice and to have a means of transportation for stored blood. In the late period of the war, there were more improvements in the safety of patients. This war’s experiences helped improve the safety of blood transfusions in later times of peace.