My Science School

MEDICINE

          Occasionally the body is ill or suffers injury. From ancient times people have used many different methods - not always successfully - to help the sick and injured. Modern medicine is based on scientific tests and treatments rather than superstition or magic.

          Two main types of treatment are medical and surgical. Medical help involves chemicals or drugs. These may be obtained from natural substances such as plants, animals or microbes, or made in the laboratory (for example, chemotherapy, used to fight cancer). Surgery involves physical treatment, for example, cutting open the body during an operation, to remove a diseased part or mend a broken bone.

CLEAN CONDITIONS

          Before the invention of the microscope, no one could see germs. These are microscopic life-forms such as bacteria and viruses that invade the body and cause the illnesses known as infections. Since people did not know about germs, they did not understand the importance of keeping wounds clean. Surgeons never bothered to wash their hands or their instruments. Many more people died after operations than got better.

DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS

          A doctor is qualified to examine and treat people using drugs and surgery. A person who is ill usually goes to the family doctor or general practitioner (GP). The GP has a wide knowledge of medicine and can diagnose (identify) and treat most illnesses.

          If the cause of the problem is not clear, the person may be sent, or referred, to a hospital doctor or consultant. The consultant is an expert in a certain type of medicine. For example, a neurologist deals with problems of the brain and nerves and a cardiologist with diseases of the heart.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

          Some of the greatest advances in recent years have been in emergency medicine. When a person is badly injured in a road accident or suffers a heart attack, every second may count. The ambulance crews are specially trained and equipped to give life-saving first aid and to care for the victim or patient on the way to hospital.

          At hospital the patient is taken to A&E (the Accident & Emergency department) where specialist doctors quickly decide on treatment. If an emergency operation is needed, the surgeon and team go to the operating room or theatre and begin straight away. After surgery, the patient is looked after in IC (the Intensive Care unit). Machines and monitors check the patient’s heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure and other body processes. If all goes well, the patient begins to recover and can leave IC for the general ward. Nurses carry out daily care and check on progress until the patient is well enough to go home.

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