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What's The Greatest Medical Advance?
Medical Journal BMJ Invites You to
Choose.
By Kathleen
Doheny
WebMD
Medical News |
The Nominations, Please......
Here is a sneak peek and description
of the 15 advances that made the shortlist, to give
you a running start:
Anesthesia: In 1846, a Boston
dentist used ether during surgery, putting an end to
much of the pain of undergoing surgery. Since then,
general anesthesia has become a mainstay in
operations.
Antibiotics: Alexander
Fleming, a British bacteriologist, discovered
penicillin in 1928 by accident when he sloppily left
a Petri dish of bacteria uncleaned in his lab. He
found a substance (later named penicillin) growing
on it that killed the bugs, and thus was the
beginning of modern-day antibiotics. Fleming shared
the Nobel Prize in 1945 for the discovery.
Chlorpromazine: Discovered in
1952, chlorpromazine (Thorazine) was the first
antipsychotic medication. It was used to treat
psychotic disorders and their symptoms, such as
hallucinations, hostility, and delusions. Its
development brought new understanding of the
biological basis for mental illness, and some say it
provided more humane management.
Computers: From medical
records to insurance, to making sure your new
medication isn't going to clash with an existing
one, computers are now viewed by some doctors as
being as important as their stethoscopes. They've
been in use in medicine since the early 1960s.
Doctors can access information on new drugs and
interactions, new medical studies, clinical trials,
or keep patient records stored at their fingertips
-- so they'll know in an instant if you really have
kept the weight off.
DNA structure: Scientists
James Watson and Francis Crick presented the
structure of the DNA helix, the molecule responsible
for carrying genetic information from one generation
to the next, in 1953. It earned them the Nobel Prize
in 1962.
Evidence-based medicine: As
the name suggests, evidence-based medicine involves
making use of the current best evidence (such as
research), a patient's values, and a doctor's
clinical experience to make decisions about patient
care. The term was coined in the early '90s and the
concept has been evolving ever since.
Germ theory: In the late
1800s, Louis Pasteur was the first to suggest the
theory that disease is caused by exposure to
microorganisms. Others furthered the theory, showing
that specific diseases are caused by specific
"bugs."
Imaging: The X-ray was
accidentally discovered in 1895. Since then, the
field has expanded, giving us computed tomography
(CT scans), positron emission (PET scans), magnetic
resonance imaging (MRIs), and ultrasound.
Immunology: The history of
immunology is traced to 1798, when Edward Jenner
found that people could be immunized against the
disease smallpox. Numerous other immunology
discoveries followed, leading to a greater
understanding of such things as allergies and
antibodies.
Oral rehydration therapy: As
the name suggests, ORT involves giving fluids by
mouth to replace losses of body water. It was first
reported in 1964; now it's a mainstay of treatment
in patients with cholera, acute diarrhea, and other
conditions.
The pill: Since the pill
arrived on the U.S. market in 1960, it's been hailed
as one of the seven wonders of the world. For women
who use it correctly, oral contraception can be up
to 99% effective.
Risks of smoking: The first
report of the connection between smoking and lung
cancer was published in BMJ in 1950. Even so,
tobacco use still kills several hundred thousand
North Americans each year.
Sanitation: The importance of
clean drinking water and waste disposal emerged in
the late 1800s, as diseases began to be linked to
impure water. But the World Health Organization says
there is a long way to go. More than 1.1 billion
people still lack access to drinking water from an
improved source; 2.6 billion do not have basic
sanitation.
Tissue culture: Tissue culture
(keeping tissue alive and growing it in a culture
medium for research or other purposes) was
"discovered" in 1907, but it took until the 1950s
for it to become an important tool for clinical
investigation.
Vaccines: Vaccines have helped
prevent a variety of diseases -- including polio,
whopping cough, and measles. The first was Edward
Jenner's smallpox vaccine, in 1796.
The Envelope, Please
To vote, visit
www.bmj.com.
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