Anne Mae Beddow
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- St. Vincent School of Nursing
- Lakeside School of Anesthesia
Anne Mae Beddow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1893 |
| Died | 1974 (aged 80–81) |
| Education |
|
| Known for | Nurse anesthetist |
Anne Mae Beddow (1893 - 1974) was a nurse anesthetist. She was instrumental in the development and spread of intravenous anesthesia.[1][disputed – discuss]
Beddow was born in 1893.[2] She attended the St. Vincent School of Nursing in Birmingham, Alabama.[1][2] She then attended Lakeside School of Anesthesia in Cleveland, Ohio.[2]
In May 1918, Beddow enlisted in the first unit of the United States Army Nurse Corps as a Lieutenant.[2] She travelled to Italy with the Loyola Unit,[1] and served with Base Hospital 102 in Vicenza, Italy.[2] Her contributions during the war led to her earning medals from the American and Italian governments.[1]
Later career
Although some accounts claim that Beddow developed the technique for administering pentothal sodium intravenously while on the Italian front during the 1918 Vittorio Veneto offensive,[2] this seems unlikely given that sodium thiopental was only discovered in the 1930s, and first used in humans in 1934.[3] Other accounts argue that she was one of the first nurses to use it in 1930s.[4]
Beddow went on to be elected president of the President of Alabama Nurses Association (1926), and was the first president of the Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She was also a charter member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, which she was the Treasurer/Director for.[2]
Death
Beddow died on July 7, 1974.[2]