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Greatest medical advancement in the last 50 years?

chemistrylover123

What do you think is the greatest medical advancement in the last 50 years? :smile:

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Reply 1

kog

Stem Cells!!

Although I'm a bit biased, as im doing a piece of research on them for Welsh Bacc :wink:

Reply 2

thegodofgod

I'd say scanning systems like CT, MRI, PET.

Reply 3

chemistrylover123

Original post by kog

Stem Cells!!

Although I'm a bit biased, as im doing a piece of research on them for Welsh Bacc :wink:

Original post by thegodofgod

I'd say scanning systems like CT, MRI, PET.

Any reasons why you chose those?

Reply 4

Selecao

Someone's got an interview then? Lol

Are you choosing a medical topic for it then? :wink:

Reply 5

InArduisFouette

Stem cell isn't really 100% a day to day thing

last 100 years it;s antibiotics,

last 50 years it's either defibrillation ( ok slightly more than 50 years ago) CT scanning or ' the golden hour' and permissive hypotensive resuscitation

Reply 6

hoonosewot

Original post by thegodofgod

I'd say scanning systems like CT, MRI, PET.

Probably this. Also, the refinement of laparoscopic (keyhole) surgical techniques have got to be up there, though i think they were actually invented a while before that.

Also, if we include public health advancements as well as technological stuff then the anti-smoking campaigns and disease eradication campaigns (eg smallpox and polio) have probably saved the most lives.

In the last 10 years, maybe the HPV vaccine or genetic testing.

Reply 7

Democracy

Original post by kog

Stem Cells!!

Although I'm a bit biased, as im doing a piece of research on them for Welsh Bacc :wink:

Not really a medical advancement which has resulted in significant population-wide benefits (yet) imho.

I'd go for improved public health campaigns.

Reply 8

rudyrabbit

I would say the mapping of the human genome as it opens countless doors

Reply 9

machines

Vaccines for polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, pneumonia, chicken pox, hep a, hep b.

Imaging and minimally invasive surgery. Transplant surgery.

Antibiotics. Antivirals.

Notice how relatively few people in the world have access to many of these things.

Reply 10

nexttime

If we include medical science, then maybe knockout mice? The research leading from that has greatly increased our understanding of many many diseases.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 11

DonaldGlover

All them vaccinations we get now for polio etc. Also, medical advancements in surgery have improved vastly.

The main thing for me though I think would be the number of drugs available on the market now that decrease the need for surgery.
Peptic ulcers used to be treated through surgery and now we can use cimetidine to relieve symptoms!

Reply 12

Talkin and Orcyn

Rising standards in food production/reduction of malnourishment, I'd say. ORT and nutritional supplements - GM food and the like, and if you say that's not a medical advancement then Dod :wink:

(edited 12 years ago)

Heart transplant

Original post by Democracy

Not really a medical advancement which has resulted in significant population-wide benefits (yet) imho.

I'd go for improved public health campaigns.

As boring as the answer is I'd have to go for this. In terms of lives saved I'd probably go for the green revolution in agriculture and the impact it had on malnourishment, though hardly a "medical" advancement.

Reply 15

Hippokrates

I would say MRI/ CT scans but correct diagnostic rates haven't increased since they were brought in so I'd say transplants.

Reply 16

Angry cucumber

Great question! :biggrin:

Personally the ability for transplantation of organs from either a live donor or not as the case maybe. It saves the lives of 1000's world wide every year!!

However this wouldn't be possible without the huge developments in MRI, CT, blood culturing, antibiotics, anti viral's, anti-emetics, chemotherapy, the list goes on!!

I'm biased but there you go!! :biggrin:

Reply 17

Millyshyn

They're all been great. I've got to agree with the poster that said mapping of the human genome though!

Reply 18

Revd. Mike

Public health campaigns, antibiotics, antipsychotics and minimally invasive surgery would probably be my answers.

Original post by kog

Stem Cells!!

Although I'm a bit biased, as im doing a piece of research on them for Welsh Bacc :wink:

Undoubtedly they will become important soon, but at the current stage fo development, they certainly can't be heralded as the greatest advancement.

Original post by rudyrabbit

I would say the mapping of the human genome as it opens countless doors

Original post by Millyshyn

They're all been great. I've got to agree with the poster that said mapping of the human genome though!

To be honest, we were expecting the human genome project to solve all the questions we had about health and disease, but very, very few questions have been answered, and probably just as many new ones have been asked. Little in the way of medical breakthrough has come from this.

Original post by nexttime

If we include medical science, then maybe knockout mice? The research leading from that has greatly increased our understanding of many many diseases.

This is a very smart answer! We couldn't have come to the understanding of disease we have today without transgenic models.

Reply 19

Democracy

The human genome project was really very anti-climactic, which is why medical scientists roll their eyes whenever the media harps on about how it's going to save the planet :wink: