Colonel Edward Churchill’s Transformation of Wound Care in the Mediterranean Theater of the Second World War
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Authors
Crews, Emily Michelle
Issue Date
2012-05-22
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Edward D. Churchhill , World War Two , WWII , Wound Care , U.S. Army Medical Corps , Surgical Techniques , Antibacterial Drugs , Blood , Medical Evacuation Route , Survival Rate , Mediterranean , Casualties , Whole Blood Substitute , Blood Transfusions , Medical Care , Medics , Plasma , Sulfonamides , Armed Services Medical Departments
Alternative Title
Abstract
Colonel Edward D. Churchill’s role as the Chief Surgical Consultant in the
Mediterranean Theater of the Second World War brought about major changes to the
standards of wound care for all soldiers in the theater. Churchill toured the theater noting
the major discrepancies and problems in the medical care of wounded soldiers.
Following this tour, Churchill set out to implement higher standards of wound care
throughout the theater.
Churchill vehemently worked with whole blood use, implementation of an
organized evacuation route, and proper surgical techniques. Civilian doctors who made
up the U.S. Army Medical Corps as well as medical misinformation caused many of the
problems in these three areas. Churchill’s implementation of whole blood use ended the excessive use of plasma, a whole blood substitute, raising the survival rate of the
wounded soldiers. Implementation of proper surgical techniques ensured the end of the
overuse of sulfonamides, an antibacterial drug, which the military surgeons frequently
used in the place of surgery. Lastly, Churchill organized the medical evacuation route
from the front lines to the zone of communication which guaranteed that the wounded
soldiers received surgical care in a timely and appropriate manner increasing the survival rate of the casualties.
These lessons extended far beyond the Mediterranean Theater to help casualties in
the Pacific and European Theaters making Churchill’s incites invaluable
Description
Emily Crews 2012 history thesis.
Citation
Publisher
Valdosta State University
License
Copyright protected. Unauthorized reproduction or use beyond the exceptions granted by the Fair Use clause of U.S. Copyright law may violate federal law.