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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Franz Kuhn, his contribution to anaesthesia and emergency medicine.

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Franz Kuhn (1866-1929), a German surgeon, made a significant practical and scientific contribution towards the development of modern anaesthesia and emergency medicine. He developed modern, scientifically based concepts in close correlation to practical inventions for every day use. All of his studies and developments were patient orientated and led to remarkable improvements in patient safety. Kuhn was a major protagonist of endotracheal intubation, perfected his flexo-metallic endotracheal tubes, worked on different techniques of intubating the trachea, applied positive pressure to the lungs during thoracic surgery and developed anaesthesia machines. In the early 20th century, he wrote several papers on this topic including a remarkable monograph, dealing with the techniques, indications in anaesthesia and emergency medicine and his experiences of endotracheal intubation. Due to a dispute with Sauerbruch on the methods of avoiding a pneumothorax during thoracic surgery and the development of local and regional anaesthesia techniques, the value of his work and his revolutionary ideas were not appreciated until 40 years later.