Ignaz Semmelweis
Physician known for hand hygiene practices
Born
July 1st, 1818
207 years ago
Died
August 13th, 1865
160 years ago — 47 years old
Category
Scientists & Innovators
Country
Hungary
Links & References
A Hungarian-Austrian physician and obstetrician developed the practice of hand washing to prevent puerperal fever in maternity wards. Worked at Vienna General Hospital, where discovered that the incidence of infection could be drastically reduced by instructing staff to wash their hands with chlorinated lime. Faced significant resistance from his contemporaries, who were skeptical of his findings. Despite the challenges, his theories laid the groundwork for modern antiseptic procedures in medicine.
Implemented hand hygiene protocols at Vienna General Hospital
Reduced maternal mortality rates significantly
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