Tom Shires
Encyclopedia
G. Tom Shires was an American trauma
surgeon
. He is known for his research on shock, which initiated the current practice of giving saline
to trauma and surgical patients. He operated on John Connally
and Lee Harvey Oswald
after the assassination of John F. Kennedy
.
Shires was brought up in Dallas. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas, Texas) in 1942 and thereafter gained a B.S.
degree from the University of Texas (1944), and an M.D.
degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (1948).
He was married to Robbie Jo Shires (Martin); the couple had a son and two daughters. Shires died of gastrointestinal cancer
at Henderson, Nevada
in 2007.
in Dallas. He worked at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute
in Bethesda
(1949–1950) and as a surgeon in the U.S. Navy
on the hospital ship USS Haven (1953–55). In 1957, he joined the faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, becoming chair of surgery in 1961. During his time in Dallas, he worked with the Dallas Fire Department to initiate one of the country's earliest paramedic systems.
In 1974, he briefly served as chair of surgery at the University of Washington
in Seattle. Shires became chair of surgery at Cornell University
Medical College in New York
in 1975, where he also served as dean and provost of medicine (1987–91). At Cornell, he was instrumental in establishing a trauma centre and, in 1976, a burns centre. Now part of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the burns centre has become an internationally recognised facility which is among the busiest in the USA, treating a thousand patients annually. He was also involved in reorganising New York's emergency services.
From 1991 to 1995, Shires chaired the surgery department at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
in Lubbock
. He then served as director of the Trauma Institute at the University of Nevada
at Las Vegas
, a post he held until his death.
was shot
in 1963, he was brought to Parkland Memorial Hospital
, where Shires was then chief of surgery, and it was Shires who issued the statement that the president had been dead on arrival at the hospital. Shires successfully operated on John Connally
, the Governor of Texas, who was also wounded in the assassination. He later also operated unsuccessfully on gunman Lee Harvey Oswald
after he was shot by Jack Ruby
.
require intravenous saline
solution. According to Philip Barie (critical care and trauma chief at Cornell
), this discovery "changed the practice of medicine" and was responsible for current medical practice.
His other research areas included the treatment of burn
s; management of the severe exfoliating disorders, toxic epidermal necrolysis
and Stevens–Johnson syndrome; physiology of haemorrhage; responses to endotoxin
; and the epidemiology of suicide
.
He co-authored several books on surgery and trauma, including the well-known textbook Principles of Surgery, which was first published in 1969 and is currently in its seventh edition.
. He was among the first to receive a MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) grant from the NIH
/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
in 1986, for his work on saline solutions in shock.
His awards include the Surgeon's Award for Service to Safety (1984), Curtis P. Artz Memorial Award of the American Trauma Society (1984), Dr Rodman E. Sheen and Thomas G. Sheen Award (1985), Harvey Stuart Allen Distinguished Service Award of the American Burn Association (1988) and the Robert Danis Prize of the International Surgical Society (1993).
He served as president of the American Surgical Association
(1979–80), American College of Surgeons
(1981–82), the US chapter of the International Surgical Society (1984–85) and the James IV Association of Surgeons (1987–91). Shires was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (1982–92) and editor of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics (1982–94). He also served on the editorial boards of many medical and surgical journals, including Annals of Surgery
, Annual Review of Medicine, Archives of Surgery
, American Journal of Surgery, Journal of Clinical Surgery and Journal of Trauma.
Dr. Shires was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame in 1989 when it was created as part of the celebration of the school's 60th Anniversary.
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
. He is known for his research on shock, which initiated the current practice of giving saline
Saline (medicine)
In medicine, saline is a general term referring to a sterile solution of sodium chloride in water but is only sterile when it is to be placed intravenously, otherwise, a saline solution is a salt water solution...
to trauma and surgical patients. He operated on John Connally
John Connally
John Bowden Connally, Jr. , was an influential American politician, serving as the 39th governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon. While he was Governor in 1963, Connally was a passenger in the car in...
and Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
after the assassination of John F. Kennedy
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
.
Biography
Born in Waco, TexasWaco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
Shires was brought up in Dallas. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas, Texas) in 1942 and thereafter gained a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from the University of Texas (1944), and an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (1948).
He was married to Robbie Jo Shires (Martin); the couple had a son and two daughters. Shires died of gastrointestinal cancer
Gastrointestinal cancer
Gastrointestinal cancer refers to malignant conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, bowels, and anus. The symptoms relate to the organ affected, and can include obstruction , abnormal bleeding, or other associated problems...
at Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
in 2007.
Career
Shires served his residency at the Parkland Memorial HospitalParkland Memorial Hospital
Parkland Memorial Hospital is a hospital located at 5201 Harry Hines Boulevard, just west of Oak Lawn in Dallas, Texas . It is the main hospital of the Dallas County Hospital District and serves as Dallas County's public hospital.- History :The original hospital opened in 1894 in a wooden...
in Dallas. He worked at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute
National Naval Medical Center
The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, USA — commonly known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital — was for decades the flagship of the United States Navy's system of medical centers. A federal institution, it conducted medical and dental research as well as providing health care for...
in Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
(1949–1950) and as a surgeon in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on the hospital ship USS Haven (1953–55). In 1957, he joined the faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, becoming chair of surgery in 1961. During his time in Dallas, he worked with the Dallas Fire Department to initiate one of the country's earliest paramedic systems.
In 1974, he briefly served as chair of surgery at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle. Shires became chair of surgery at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Medical College in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1975, where he also served as dean and provost of medicine (1987–91). At Cornell, he was instrumental in establishing a trauma centre and, in 1976, a burns centre. Now part of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools: Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. It is composed of two distinct medical centers, Columbia...
/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the burns centre has become an internationally recognised facility which is among the busiest in the USA, treating a thousand patients annually. He was also involved in reorganising New York's emergency services.
From 1991 to 1995, Shires chaired the surgery department at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center offers programs in Allied Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. TTUHSC's main campus is in Lubbock, but campuses are also located in Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, El Paso and the Permian Basin...
in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. He then served as director of the Trauma Institute at the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, a post he held until his death.
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
After President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
was shot
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
in 1963, he was brought to Parkland Memorial Hospital
Parkland Memorial Hospital
Parkland Memorial Hospital is a hospital located at 5201 Harry Hines Boulevard, just west of Oak Lawn in Dallas, Texas . It is the main hospital of the Dallas County Hospital District and serves as Dallas County's public hospital.- History :The original hospital opened in 1894 in a wooden...
, where Shires was then chief of surgery, and it was Shires who issued the statement that the president had been dead on arrival at the hospital. Shires successfully operated on John Connally
John Connally
John Bowden Connally, Jr. , was an influential American politician, serving as the 39th governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon. While he was Governor in 1963, Connally was a passenger in the car in...
, the Governor of Texas, who was also wounded in the assassination. He later also operated unsuccessfully on gunman Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
after he was shot by Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby
Jacob Leon Rubenstein , who legally changed his name to Jack Leon Ruby in 1947, was convicted of the November 24, 1963 murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Ruby, who was originally from Chicago, Illinois, was then a nightclub operator in Dallas, Texas...
.
Research and writing
Shires' research in the 1960s on the physiology of shock showed that, contrary to the practice of the time, surgical patients and patients with traumaPhysical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
require intravenous saline
Saline (medicine)
In medicine, saline is a general term referring to a sterile solution of sodium chloride in water but is only sterile when it is to be placed intravenously, otherwise, a saline solution is a salt water solution...
solution. According to Philip Barie (critical care and trauma chief at Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
), this discovery "changed the practice of medicine" and was responsible for current medical practice.
His other research areas included the treatment of burn
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
s; management of the severe exfoliating disorders, toxic epidermal necrolysis
Toxic epidermal necrolysis
Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a rare, life-threatening dermatological condition that is usually induced by a reaction to medications...
and Stevens–Johnson syndrome; physiology of haemorrhage; responses to endotoxin
Endotoxin
Endotoxins are toxins associated with some Gram-negative bacteria. An "endotoxin" is a toxin that is a structural molecule of the bacteria that is recognized by the immune system.-Gram negative:...
; and the epidemiology of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
He co-authored several books on surgery and trauma, including the well-known textbook Principles of Surgery, which was first published in 1969 and is currently in its seventh edition.
Awards and honours
In 1985, Shires was ranked the top academic surgeon in the USA by Claude Organ, then president of the American College of SurgeonsAmerican College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
. He was among the first to receive a MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) grant from the NIH
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences is a part of the National Institutes of Health that primarily supports research that lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention...
in 1986, for his work on saline solutions in shock.
His awards include the Surgeon's Award for Service to Safety (1984), Curtis P. Artz Memorial Award of the American Trauma Society (1984), Dr Rodman E. Sheen and Thomas G. Sheen Award (1985), Harvey Stuart Allen Distinguished Service Award of the American Burn Association (1988) and the Robert Danis Prize of the International Surgical Society (1993).
He served as president of the American Surgical Association
American Surgical Association
The American Surgical Association is the nation's "oldest and most prestigious surgical organization".-History:It was founded in 1880. Their publication, Annals of Surgery, was started in 1885.- Heads :*Edward Mott Moore...
(1979–80), American College of Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
(1981–82), the US chapter of the International Surgical Society (1984–85) and the James IV Association of Surgeons (1987–91). Shires was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (1982–92) and editor of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics (1982–94). He also served on the editorial boards of many medical and surgical journals, including Annals of Surgery
Annals of Surgery
The Annals of Surgery is a monthly review journal of surgical science and practice. It was started in 1885.-External links:** @ PubMed Central...
, Annual Review of Medicine, Archives of Surgery
Archives of Surgery
The Archives of Surgery is a monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association. Archives of Surgery publishes original, peer-reviewed clinical and basic research articles addressing new operative techniques, important clinical findings, and real-life lessons from...
, American Journal of Surgery, Journal of Clinical Surgery and Journal of Trauma.
Dr. Shires was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame in 1989 when it was created as part of the celebration of the school's 60th Anniversary.
Books
- Shires GT, Carrico CJ, Canizaro PC. Shock (Major Problems in Clinical Surgery, Vol. 13) (Saunders, 1973) (ISBN 0721682502)
- Shires GT, ed. Shock and Related Problems (Churchill Livingstone; 1984) (ISBN 0443029016)
- Shires GT. Principles of Trauma Care, 3rd edn (McGraw-Hill; 1984) (ISBN 0070569177)
- Davis JM, Shires GT, eds. Host Defenses in Trauma and Surgery (Raven Press; 1986) (ISBN 0881672343)
- Shires GT, ed. Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid Bases (Churchill Livingstone; 1988) (ISBN 0443085854)
- Davis JM, Shires GT, eds. Principles and Management of Surgical Infections (Lippincott; 1991) (ISBN 0397507356)
- Barie PS, Shires GT, eds. Surgical Intensive Care (Little, Brown; 1993) (ISBN 0316080837)
- Schwartz SI, Spencer FC, Galloway AC, Shires TG, Daly JM, Fischer JE. Principles of Surgery, 7th edn (McGraw-Hill; 1999) (ISBN 0070542562)
Research articles
- Shires T, Jackson DE. (1962) Postoperative salt tolerance. Arch Surg 84: 703–706 (PMID 13912108)
- Shires GT, Cunningham JN, Backer CR et al.. (1972) Alterations in cellular membrane function during hemorrhagic shock in primates. Ann Surg 176: 288–295 (PMID 4627396) (full text)
- Hefton JM, Madden MR, Finkelstein JL, Shires GT. (1983) Grafting of burn patients with allografts of cultured epidermal cells. Lancet 2(8347): 428–430 (PMID 6135914)
- Halebian PH, Corder VJ, Madden MR et al.. (1986) Improved burn center survival of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis managed without corticosteroids. Ann Surg 204: 503–512 (PMID 3767483) (full text)
- Fong YM, Marano MA, Barber A et al.. (1989) Total parenteral nutrition and bowel rest modify the metabolic response to endotoxin in humans. Ann Surg 210: 449–456 (PMID 2508583) (full text)
- Fong YM, Marano MA, Moldawer LL et al.. (1990) The acute splanchnic and peripheral tissue metabolic response to endotoxin in humans. J Clin Invest 85: 1896–1904 (PMID 2347917) (full text)