Centennial Changes in Surgical Care and Research
Abstract
One hundred years ago, the 21st meeting of the American Surgical Association (ASA) began with R. F. Wier stating in his Presidential Address, I shall turn aside from the well trodden goal of ornate speech and oratorical display and tread for a few minutes the narrow path of scientific investigation. His address, entitled Perforating Ulcer of the Duodenum, essentially was based on 60 cases published by others in the 5 years preceding the meeting, and noted that the outcome of the reported cases was related to the time of operation. All 25 patients in whom closure was carried out 30 or more hours after perforation died, but 8 of the 12 patients in whom closure was performed less than 30 hours after perforation survived. The 33% mortality in those patients was contrasted favorably with the 60% mortality reported by a European surgeon. Wier noted that in 51 of the collected cases, the diagnosis was right or approximately so in 25%. His only patient with a perforated duodenal ulcer presented 4 days after perforation and died quickly after surgical closure.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA628429
Entities
People
- Basil A. Pruitt Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army Institute of Surgical Research