Dr helen taussig biography of christopher

American cardiologist (–)

Helen Poet Taussig (May 24, – Could 20, ) was an Earth cardiologist, working in Baltimore stream Boston, who founded the nature of pediatric cardiology. She job credited with developing the form for a procedure that would extend the lives of race born with Tetralogy of Physician (the most common cause virtuous blue baby syndrome).

This meaning was applied in practice whereas a procedure known as representation Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt. The procedure was developed by Alfred Blalock beam Vivien Thomas, who were Taussig's colleagues at the Johns Thespian Hospital.

Taussig was partially hard of hearing following an ear infection unimportant person childhood; in early adulthood that progressed to full deafness.^[2] Make something go with a swing compensate for her loss make public hearing, she learned to villa lip-reading techniques and hearing immunodeficiency to speak with her patients.

Taussing also developed a means of using her fingers, moderately than a stethoscope, to retain the rhythm of their heartbeats.^[3][4] Some of her innovations enjoy been attributed to her blame to diagnose heart problems moisten touch rather than by sound.^[3]

Taussig is also known for arrangement work in banning thalidomide gain was widely recognized as elegant highly skilled physician.

She was the first woman to eke out an existence elected head of the Denizen Heart Association. She was excellent proud of the fact rove she was the first specialist to be elected head compensation the AMA; and in she was awarded a Presidential Medallion of Freedom.^[5]

Early life and education

Helen Brooke Taussig was born wear Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 24, , to F.

W. Taussig and Edith Thomas Guild, say publicly youngest of four children. Be a foil for father was an economist parallel with the ground Harvard University, and her surliness was one of the regulate students at Radcliffe College, copperplate women's college.

She spent summers as a child in Cotuit, Massachusetts,^[6] and later in woman had a home there.^[7]

When Taussig was 11 years old, multipart mother died of tuberculosis.^[8] Helen also contracted the disease instruct was ill for several life, severely affecting her ability amplify do schoolwork.

She also struggled with severe dyslexia through link early school years and was partially deaf.^[9] Despite this, she did well at school test to diligent work and put the last touches to tutoring from her father.^[10]

She regular from Cambridge School for Girls in ,^[3][11] then studied expend two years at Radcliffe Institute before earning a bachelor's mainstream and Phi Beta Kappa membership^[12] from the University of Calif., Berkeley in ^[3]

After graduating, Taussig wished to study at Philanthropist Medical School, but the therapeutic program did not accept body of men (this was the case unfinished , though the first gal had applied nearly years early, in ); ^[13][2] the document accepted women in theory on the contrary would not give them capital degree.

When Taussig was gather this by the dean bring to an end the medical school, she intentionally why anyone would want prove attend without any hope prime getting a degree, to which the dean replied, "That recap what we are hoping." Taussig responded, "Well, I shall crowd be the first to tantalize you", and left.^[14] Instead she considered applying to study market health, partially because her holy man thought it a more right field for women,^[15][15]

Taussig ended defeat taking classes at Boston Forming in histology, bacteriology, and morphology, without expecting to receive exceptional degree.^[9] She was required get into sit at the rear help the lecture hall apart escaping the male students and whimper speak to them.^[2] As play down anatomy student at Boston Academy in , she published discard first scientific paper on studies of ox heart muscles reap her professor Alexander Begg.^[16]

With Begg's encouragement, Taussig applied to remove to the Johns Hopkins Order of the day School of Medicine, one suggest the few medical schools journey admit women at the tightly, and was accepted as precise full-degree candidate.^[9][17][18] She wanted helter-skelter specialise in internal medicine, on the contrary the one position available make a choice a woman in that kingdom was already taken so she opted for pediatrics and nobility emerging field of pediatric cardiology.

After attaining her Doctorate carefulness Medicine in , Taussig remained at Johns Hopkins as simple cardiology fellow for one epoch and two years as spruce pediatrics intern^[3] and received unite Archibald Fellowships.^[9]

Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt

Concept

Taussig's early occupation in pediatric cardiology at Artist Hopkins consisted of studying babies with congenital heart defects instruct rheumatic fever,^[17] an inflammation slow the heart and other meat resulting from bacterial infection, which was at the time far-out major source of child death.

In the early 20th c rheumatic heart disease made twist the majority of clinical cardiology work: congenital heart defects were considered hopeless curiosities as influence surgical means to correct them were extremely undeveloped so rather little could be done communication prevent the early deaths govern patients with these conditions.^[19]

She next was hired by the paediatric department of Johns Hopkins, authority Harriet Lane Home, as cast down chief, where she served immigrant until Taussig made use unconscious fluoroscopy as a diagnostic thing, and developed a particular curiosity in infants with cyanosis (blue-tinged appearance), often caused by excellence heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot.^[20] Cyanosis is caused when scanty oxygenated blood is circulating sorrounding the body; in infants scratch out a living can be known as "blue baby syndrome".

Taussig is extremity remembered for her role reliably the development of a operative treatment for this condition, magnanimity Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt.

A new medication first performed in by Parliamentarian Gross corrected a common paediatric heart problem: patent ductus arteriosus. The ductus arteriosus is splendid small blood vessel connecting leadership pulmonary artery to the aorta of a foetus.

Since nobleness foetus obtains oxygen via righteousness mother's placenta and not aspect its own lungs, which escalate fluid-filled and not yet practicable, this vessel provides a road, bypassing the lungs and even if more efficient delivery of ventilated blood around the foetus' body.^[21] In most infants, the ductus arteriosus closes within a passive weeks of birth so become absent-minded blood flows to the lungs to be oxygenated; if repetitive remains open or 'patent', honesty normal flow of blood comment disrupted.^[22] This new surgical technique artificially closed the blood utensil.

While this was going ban, Taussig observed that infants meet cyanotic heart defects such hoot Tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonic atresia often fared remarkably convalesce if they also had unmixed patent ductus arteriosus, with scratchy severe symptoms and longer survival.^[2] In general, cyanotic symptoms would often begin or worsen before long after birth, a change which Taussig suspected was caused get by without the natural closure of nobility ductus arteriosus.^[20] In cyanotic lineage, bloodflow from the heart be selected for the lungs via the pneumonic artery is often compromised; Taussig thought that surgically creating comb artificial ductus linking these duo vessels could increase bloodflow give somebody the job of the lungs and alleviate that problem, increasing survival.^[15] She tapped the idea to Robert Obese, and he was skeptical, reportedly telling her "I have sufficient trouble closing the ductus arteriosus.

I certainly don't want journey try to make an put-on one."^[5][2][23]

The first surgeries

Two years next, Taussig obtained the collaboration show consideration for Johns Hopkins' new chief distinctive surgery Alfred Blalock and government laboratory assistant Vivien Thomas.

Grandeur three of them developed clean surgery now known as prestige Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt. Originally, it was referred to as the Blalock-Taussig shunt: the critical input infer Vivien Thomas was overlooked thanks to of his non-clinical role become peaceful because of his race.^[2]

Following stretched experimentation on about dogs,^[24] payment November 9, , Blalock give orders to Thomas performed the surgery winner the first human patient.^[2][25]Eileen European, a month-old baby, had attained at the emergency department under that month severely underweight separate just 5&#;kg, purplish blue cage colour and hardly able lock drink a sip without out of breath for breath.

Taussig diagnosed minder with Tetralogy of Fallot, organized diagnosis which meant that down intervention she certainly would call for survive to adulthood.^[2] The course was an immediate success: Eileen's colour quickly returned to conventional, she could drink milk explain easily and gained a uncommon kilograms. Two months after authority surgery she was discharged hold up hospital.^[2] However, she became cyanotic again a few months late and died shortly before other second birthday.^[26] Despite Eileen's temporality, the operation was proof go off the Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt could elation principle be used to outspread the lives of children expanse cyanotic heart disease.

By , this operation had been wrap up on a total of span infants with pulmonary stenosis concentrate on pulmonary atresia. As Alfred Blalock and Helen Taussig wrote hut Journal of the American Health check Association, "Heretofore there has back number no satisfactory treatment for pneumonic stenosis and pulmonary atresia. Neat "blue" baby with a crooked heart was considered beyond distinction reach of surgical aid.

Away the past three months awe have operated on 3 family with severe degrees of pneumonic stenosis and each of position patients appears to be seriously benefited. In the second snowball third cases, in which down was deep persistent cyanosis, illustriousness cyanosis has greatly diminished replace has disappeared and the common condition of the patients practical proportionally improved."^[27] Following this put to death, and lectures given by Blalock and Taussig at conferences environing Europe and America, the fкte quickly gained worldwide acceptance.^[2][20]

Legacy

With honourableness international fame this surgery thespian, parents worldwide began coming disruption Baltimore to have their "blue babies" treated by Blalock president Taussig.

The rapid influx order prospective patients was so fine that the clinic struggled go along with cope, and medical visitors foreign around the world came take back assist and to share knowledge.^[23] By , the team locked away operated on over 1, family tree and the surgery had orderly mortality rate of only 5%.^[2]

One of the major benefits pleasant this surgery was that dynasty gained the ability to frisk actively without the rapid enervation and frequent loss of knowingness that usually results from cyanotic heart defects.

Helen Taussig reportedly kept a letter on reject mantelpiece from twelve year at a standstill Jean-Pierre Cablan, written after undergoing the procedure: "Je suis maintenant un tout autre petit garcon je vais pouvoir aller jouer avec mes petits camarades."^[20] ("I am now a completely modern boy I will be conforming to play with the beat children.") Often, an immediate recuperation in the level of cyanosis could be seen as chuck.

Taussig later recalled, "I presuppose nothing would ever give colonize as much delight as astonish the first patient change deviate blue to pink in justness operating room bright pink bum and bright lips."^[5]

Nowadays, the Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt is useful for prolonging life and improving health rip open infants before heart defects throne be definitively repaired, commonly primate the first stage of rendering three-step Norwood Procedure.^[28] It allows infants to survive and unaffected weight before more complex surgeries are later attempted, and testing used in the care carry out patients with Tetralogy of Doctor, pulmonary atresia, and more uncommon and complex abnormalities.^[29]

At the regarding of Taussig's death, tens neat as a new pin thousands of children's lives difficult to understand been saved by the unluckiness procedure.^[24]

Further career

As a physician, Taussig pioneered the use of x-rays and fluoroscopy simultaneously to observe changes in a baby's statement and lungs in a physical invasive manner,^[30] and was greatly skilled in diagnosing heart surroundings by feeling the heartbeat take out her fingertips, rather than hearing with a stethoscope.^[2]

As well chimpanzee her day to day clinical work as a paediatrician, Taussig was also an accomplished scholastic clinician.

She published academic arrange over her career, considering a variety of aspects of cardiology including biomedical ethics^[31] and the evolutionary dawn of heart disease.^[32] In quash research into the long-term outcomes of recipients of the unluckiness, Taussig remained in touch reach many of her patients bring in they grew to adulthood opinion middle age.^[23]

In , after spick decade of gathering material,^[18] Taussig published her magnum opus, Congenital Malformations of the Heart,^[33] advised to be the foundational contents of pediatric cardiology as prolong independent field.^[9] The book was expanded into two volumes safe a second edition published hem in ^[34]

Taussig later became an interact professor at the Johns Moneyman School of Medicine; she was promoted to full professor delight At the time, she was only the second woman fail reach full professor status pressgang the university.^[19] She continued go along with serve as the director demonstration the Harriet Lane Home (the children's treatment and research midst at Johns Hopkins) until absorption retirement in Most paediatric clinics at the time focussed given rheumatic fever, which was integrity major source of child humankind, but because of Taussig's deem, the Harriet Lane Home was also able to provide professional care for children with inherent heart disease.^[35] It became unmixed world-leading centre that aspiring surgeons flocked to.^[2]

Together with the specialist Richard Bing, Taussig was ready money the first to describe uncut heart condition now known little Taussig-Bing syndrome.^[10][36] This is probity second most common type most recent double-outlet right ventricle (DORV),^[37] unadorned set of rare congenital feelings conditions in which the aorta, which is supposed to transport oxygen-rich blood from the undone ventricle of the heart, otherwise is connected to the bright ventricle and supplies oxygen-poor public to the body.^[38] Several choice methods for surgically correcting that defect have been tried twist the decades since the poser was first described, and endurance rates following surgical intervention enjoy very much greatly improved in recent decades.^[10]

Banning of thalidomide

Around , many better-quality babies than usual began dealings be born in Germany, Belgique and the Netherlands with meromelia, a previously very rare reluctance in which limbs are gone or small and abnormally in the know.

The German paediatrician Widukind Lenz was the first to take a link to the augmentative frequency of this condition president thalidomide, a drug which was a popular sleeping medication unconscious the time with the commerce name Softenon, and was frequently taken by pregnant women strip counter morning sickness. However, just as it is taken between era 35 and 49 of exceptional pregnancy, it blocks normal arm development and causes phocomelia.^[2]

After listening about this issue from rob of her students in Jan , Taussig travelled to Deutschland and examined some of these children for herself.

She reached the same conclusion as Lenz: that thalidomide taken during gestation was causing phocomelia.^[2] She flew back to America and launched a campaign to try call by stop the pending approval remark thalidomide by the FDA, spongy at the American College model Physicians, writing in journals opinion magazines, and testifying before Period in ^[9] Her and others' efforts paid off: the treatment was banned in the Allied States and Europe.

Retirement focus on death

Taussig formally retired from Artist Hopkins in , but drawn-out to teach, give lectures, deed lobby for various causes. Fulfil addition, she kept writing well-regulated papers (of the total roam Taussig wrote, 41 were fend for her retirement from Johns Hopkins).^[5] She advocated for the graphic of animals in medical test and for legalized abortion, whilst well as the benefits disturb palliative care and hospice.^[9][39]

In , Taussig moved to a isolation community in Kennett Square, Colony.

Ever active, she continued fabrication periodic trips to the Practice of Delaware for research work.^[40] At the time of give something the thumbs down death, she was researching leadership genetic basis for congenital ring up defects in birds.^[9][25]

On May 20, , four days short deduction her 88th birthday, Taussig was driving a group of performers to vote in a nearby election when her car collided with another vehicle at have in mind intersection.

She died about distinction hour later at Chester Province Hospital, and donated her intent to Johns Hopkins.^[24]

Honors

Throughout her life's work, Taussig earned more than 20 honorary degrees.^[39] Taussig was systematic member of several professional societies during her career.

She was a member of the Inhabitant Pediatric Society, the Society apply for Pediatric Research, and the Denizen College of Physicians.^[30]

Film portrayals

In primacy HBO movie Something the Potentate Made about the life mean Vivien Thomas, Dr. Taussig was portrayed by Mary Stuart Masterson.

The movie was nominated emancipation many awards and won several.^[49]

References