Key result
General anesthesia dominates late Korean War practices at ~69%, reflecting slow adoption of newer techniques.
Why the study?
The practice of anesthesia during the Korean War was not previously described in English-language literature using primary source documentation.
Observational
Yes
This historical analysis reveals that during the Korean War, general anesthesia was the most common technique, while newer techniques like intubation and curare-based drugs were less frequently adopted despite official recommendations.
Highlights delayed adoption of newer techniques despite recommendations; extends historical context for military anesthesia evolution without practice implications.
Relying on original, primary source documentation from the National Archives, we describe the practice of anesthesia in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units and the 171st Evacuation Hospital during the latter part of the Korean War in 1953. Values were scaled and reported as percentages. These Essential Technical Medical Data Sheets reveal a surprising proportion (12.9%) of men received spinal anesthetics, despite official recommendations to the contrary. Still, the majority (69.2%) of the wounded underwent general anesthesia, most commonly through a mixture of thiopental and nitrous oxide. Despite data from World War II demonstrating the advantages of endotracheal intubation in these patients, few patients (20.6%) were intubated. Six percent benefited from the new curare-based drugs. This is the first English-language article that describes the practice of anesthesia during the Korean War. Utilizing primary source documentation, we found that general anesthesia was the most common type utilized. Newer techniques were not as commonly adopted, despite official recommendations and data from the time. The care provided closely resembled that delivered in the Second World War but inspired a series of technological and pedagogical reforms through the 1950s to improve military anesthesia for the next conflict.
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Zhao et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Wounded soldiers requiring anesthesia. Anesthesia practices was evaluated on Proportion of anesthesia types and techniques utilized. During the latter part of the Korean War, general anesthesia was most common (69.2%), while 12.9% received spinal anesthetics and 20.6% were intubated, reflecting slow adoption of newer techniques.
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