Claude Beck
Encyclopedia
Claude Schaeffer Beck was a pioneer American
cardiac surgeon
, famous for innovating various cardiac surgery techniques, and performing the first defibrillation
in 1947. He was the first American professor of cardiovascular surgery, from 1952 through 1965.
. He received his medical degree in 1921 from Johns Hopkins
, and in 1924 became a surgical resident at the Case Western Reserve University
. Beck stayed at Case Western till his death in 1971.
In the 1930s, Beck worked on the problem of how to restore circulation to the heart, by developing a technique to implant some pectoral muscle into the pericardium
, which provided an additional source of circulation. The technique received great acclaim at the time, though was eventually replaced with more modern techniques.
He performed the first "Beck I" operation (cardiopericardiopexy) in 1935. The Beck II operation came about in the late 1940s, which created a vein graft between the aorta and coronary sinus.
In 1947, he performed the first successful defibrillation
. He had been operating on a 14-year-old boy with a congenital disorder, but towards the end of the surgery as the boy's chest was being closed, the boy went into cardiac arrest. Beck reopened the chest and tried to massage the heart by hand for approximately 45 minutes, before proceeding to the use of defibrillator which had been designed by Beck, and built by his friend James Rand (of the Rand Development Corp.). Beck applied the paddles of the device directly to the boy's heart, and successfully brought the heart out of fibrillation. The boy went on to make a full recovery.
Beck is also credited with describing the physiological basis for the signs of acute cardiac tamponade
. The medical sign
s classically associated with acute cardiac tamponade are collectively called Beck's triad.
He retired in 1965, and died of a stroke in 1971.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cardiac surgeon
Cardiac surgeon
A cardiac surgeon is a surgeon who performs cardiac surgery—operative procedures on the heart and great vessels.-Training:A cardiac surgery residency typically comprises anywhere from six to nine years of training to become a fully qualified surgeon...
, famous for innovating various cardiac surgery techniques, and performing the first defibrillation
Defibrillation
Defibrillation is a common treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator...
in 1947. He was the first American professor of cardiovascular surgery, from 1952 through 1965.
Biography
Beck was born in 1894 in Shamokin, PennsylvaniaShamokin, Pennsylvania
Shamokin is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, at the western edge of the Anthracite Coal Region. At the 2000 census the population was 8,009 residents...
. He received his medical degree in 1921 from Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, and in 1924 became a surgical resident at the Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of Case Western Reserve University, and is located in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. The School of Medicine is among the top 25 medical schools in America and is the top-ranked medical school of Ohio in...
. Beck stayed at Case Western till his death in 1971.
In the 1930s, Beck worked on the problem of how to restore circulation to the heart, by developing a technique to implant some pectoral muscle into the pericardium
Pericardium
The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.-Layers:...
, which provided an additional source of circulation. The technique received great acclaim at the time, though was eventually replaced with more modern techniques.
He performed the first "Beck I" operation (cardiopericardiopexy) in 1935. The Beck II operation came about in the late 1940s, which created a vein graft between the aorta and coronary sinus.
In 1947, he performed the first successful defibrillation
Defibrillation
Defibrillation is a common treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator...
. He had been operating on a 14-year-old boy with a congenital disorder, but towards the end of the surgery as the boy's chest was being closed, the boy went into cardiac arrest. Beck reopened the chest and tried to massage the heart by hand for approximately 45 minutes, before proceeding to the use of defibrillator which had been designed by Beck, and built by his friend James Rand (of the Rand Development Corp.). Beck applied the paddles of the device directly to the boy's heart, and successfully brought the heart out of fibrillation. The boy went on to make a full recovery.
Beck is also credited with describing the physiological basis for the signs of acute cardiac tamponade
Cardiac tamponade
Cardiac tamponade, also known as pericardial tamponade, is an emergency condition in which fluid accumulates in the pericardium ....
. The medical sign
Medical sign
A medical sign is an objective indication of some medical fact or characteristic that may be detected by a physician during a physical examination of a patient....
s classically associated with acute cardiac tamponade are collectively called Beck's triad.
He retired in 1965, and died of a stroke in 1971.
Publications
- "Two cardiac compression triads", Journal of the American Medical AssociationJournal of the American Medical AssociationThe Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
, 1935 - "Ventricular fibrillation of long duration abolished by electric shock", JAMA, 1947
- "The development of a new blood supply to the heart by operation", Annals of Surgery, 1947