What major change occurred in the treatment of bacterial infections in the 1940s?

The development of effective antibiotics in the 1940s marked a significant turning point in the treatment of bacterial infections. This era saw the introduction of penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming and mass-produced during World War II, which proved to be highly effective against various bacterial infections that had previously been life-threatening. The ability to treat such infections dramatically reduced mortality rates and transformed medical practices.

The introduction of antibiotics revolutionized healthcare, allowing for more aggressive treatments of infections that could previously lead to severe complications or death. This created a new standard in medicine, reducing reliance on older methods such as surgical interventions or alternative therapies. Factors like the emergence of over-the-counter medications or a shift towards herbal treatments did not play a dominant role in this specific context of bacterial infection treatments. Rather, it was the advent of antibiotics that fundamentally changed the landscape of infection management in the medical field during the 1940s.