Curtis P. Artz
Curtis P. Artz (1915–1977) was an American trauma surgeon and burn care specialist.[1] He served in the U.S. Army working in surgical research, founded and led several organizations dedicated to surgery and burn care, published medical textbooks and academic articles, and taught as a Professor of Surgery at multiple colleges and universities throughout the U.S.[2][3]
Early life
[edit]Artz was born in central Ohio and went on to earn his bachelor's and M.D. degrees from Ohio State University.[1] There he met his wife, Lucy, and they were married in 1939.[1] In 1940, Artz was a resident at the Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and soon after began general practice in Calhoun County, West Virginia.[2] While working in Calhoun County in 1941, Artz was commended for his treatment of a 64-year-old man who experienced an accident causing severe trauma to his leg.[2] Artz treated the patient using a dried powdered form of blood plasma,[4] as an alternative to blood transfusion, which was a new development in medical technology at the time.[1][2] An ambulance transported the patient to a nearby hospital in Parkersburg, where Artz successfully amputated the patient's leg.[2] In 1943, Artz treated a three-year-old girl who suffered serious burn injuries, but did not survive.[1][2]
Military service
[edit]In 1948, Artz joined the United States Army.[2] He worked at several Army hospitals across the country, most notably the Brooke Army Hospital, where he became Chief of Research and Commanding Officer of the US Army Surgical Research Unit.[1]
During the Korean War, Artz served as director of the 46th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.[1][5] There his team treated over 250 patients with battle wounds, mostly abdominal wounds, and focused on reducing fatalities among trauma patients.[5] The patients were the subject of four volumes of published research. In 1956, Artz suffered a heart attack and was medically discharged.[1]
Contributions
[edit]In 1960, Artz and James Hardy co-authored the textbook Complications in Surgery, which covered everything from wounds to organ transplants.[1][6] The textbook soon became standard reading for resident surgeons.[6]
In 1967, Artz worked with biomechanical engineer Tom Hargest to patent the air-fluidized bed, which eliminates the need for manually turning wound care patients.[1] The bed, marketed by the SSI as the Clinitron bed, gives the patient a sensation of "floating" by allowing their body weight to be evenly distributed across a large surface area.[7] The bed also uses pressurized warm air to move small ceramic beads around under the patient, encouraging the continuous movement and circulation of fluid.[7]
Involvement in organizations
[edit]Throughout his career, Artz served as a leader and founder of multiple organizations.[1][2][3]
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| American Burn Association | Founding member, first president |
| American Association for the Surgery of Trauma | President |
| American Trauma Society | Founding member, president |
| Southeastern Surgical Congress | President |
| American College of Surgeons | Vice President |
| ACS Committee on Trauma | Chairman |
| ACS Board of Governors | Vice chairman |
| Committee on Trauma National Research Council | Chairman |
| Parkersburg Academy of Medicine | President |
| Medical University of South Carolina | Chairman, Chief of Surgery |
The Medical University of South Carolina Curtis P. Artz Surgical Society was founded and named after him in 1974.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Adams, David B. (2018-07-01). "The Life and Death of Curtis Artz". The American Surgeon. 84 (7): 1123–1128. doi:10.1177/000313481808400724. ISSN 0003-1348. PMID 30064574. S2CID 51887225.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Weaver, Bob. "REMEMBERING: CALHOUN COUNTRY DOCTOR BECOMES USA EXPERT ON TRAUMA – Grantsville Physician Curtis P. Artz (1915–1977) Wanted Better Way". www.hurherald.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21. [unreliable source?]
- ^ a b "DR. CURTIS P. ARTZ". The New York Times. 1977-12-25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
- ^ Zaza, Mouayyad; Kalkwarf, Kyle J.; Holcomb, John B. (2019-05-06). "Dried Plasma". Damage Control Resuscitation. pp. 145–162. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20820-2_8. ISBN 978-3-030-20819-6. PMC 7123378.
- ^ a b Howard JM, Hughes CW, eds. Battle Casualties in Korea: studies of the Surgical Research Team. Volume III. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1955
- ^ a b Cotlar, Alvin M. (1975-10-20). "Management of Surgical Complications". JAMA. 234 (3): 334. doi:10.1001/jama.1975.03260160082026. ISSN 0098-7484.
- ^ a b "NCD – Air-Fluidized Bed (280.8)". www.cms.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
- ^ "Curtis P Artz MUSC Surgical Society". medicine.musc.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
- American surgeons
- 1915 births
- 1977 deaths
- United States Army personnel of the Korean War
- 20th-century American physicians
- 20th-century American surgeons
- Ohio State University College of Medicine alumni
- Medical University of South Carolina faculty
- People from Calhoun County, West Virginia
- People from Parkersburg, West Virginia
- Physicians from West Virginia