HISTORY OF PREVELANCE: It is not clear when gas gangrene was officially discovered, although records from the Civil War indicate it was known at the time (Gillett, 1987, p. 280). Hospital gangrene was much more common than Gas Gangrene during the Civil War because it spread through direct contact (Gillett, 1987, p. 280). Gas gangrene was relatively uncommon during the Civil War, but became much more common in later wars such as World War I and World War II. In World War I, gas gangrene was the second most important cause of death among soldiers (US Army Surgeon General’s Office, 1929, p. 414). The amount of research done during the World Wars allowed the prevalence by the Korean War to be much lower and the death rate dropped to nearly 0% (Howard,
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627). This became the most common treatment until antibiotics were discovered. By WWII, the most common treatment of gas gangrene was chemotherapy: the use of penicillin, sulphonamides, and/or proflave-sulphathiazole mixtures (p. 638). Prevention of has by far been the most effective treatment Gas Gangrene and has accounted for the rarity of the infection today. Prevention often consisted of wound-debridement, which was a cleansing process that removed all dead tissue and foreign particles from the wound before it was closed. Wound debridement has been credited in largely reducing the incidence of Gas Gangrene after war wounds (Howard, 1955, p. 205).
VACCINE: Although a lot of research has been done, there is no standardized vaccine for Gas Gangrene
CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE: Gas Gangrene seems to be very well-understand and has become almost obsolete. This is because of the amount of research that occurred during the World Wars. The treatment and prevention of Gas Gangrene has evolved as the knowledge of wound care has evolved, as they are closely related. Gas Gangrene was not a true issue until World War I and trench warfare. As the incidence increased dramatically, so did the research and findings about Gas Gangrene. Therefore, by the Korean War, knowledge of Gas Gangrene was pretty solid and the incidence dropped incredibly (Howard,
627). This became the most common treatment until antibiotics were discovered. By WWII, the most common treatment of gas gangrene was chemotherapy: the use of penicillin, sulphonamides, and/or proflave-sulphathiazole mixtures (p. 638). Prevention of has by far been the most effective treatment Gas Gangrene and has accounted for the rarity of the infection today. Prevention often consisted of wound-debridement, which was a cleansing process that removed all dead tissue and foreign particles from the wound before it was closed. Wound debridement has been credited in largely reducing the incidence of Gas Gangrene after war wounds (Howard, 1955, p. 205).
VACCINE: Although a lot of research has been done, there is no standardized vaccine for Gas Gangrene
CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE: Gas Gangrene seems to be very well-understand and has become almost obsolete. This is because of the amount of research that occurred during the World Wars. The treatment and prevention of Gas Gangrene has evolved as the knowledge of wound care has evolved, as they are closely related. Gas Gangrene was not a true issue until World War I and trench warfare. As the incidence increased dramatically, so did the research and findings about Gas Gangrene. Therefore, by the Korean War, knowledge of Gas Gangrene was pretty solid and the incidence dropped incredibly (Howard,