Basil A. Pruitt Jr, MD, FACS, MCCM, 1930-2019

Dr. Basil A. Pruitt Jr. had a major and sustained worldwide impact on the fields of burns, trauma, and surgical critical care. His contributions in these fields were transformational and directly led to dramatic improvements in patient care marked by improved survival, decreased complications, and improved health.ⁱ

Dr. Basil Pruitt circa 1980s. Photo courtesy of ACS Archive.

Born just outside New York City in August 1930, the Pruitts moved to Dallas, TX when Basil Pruitt was 14 years old due to his father working in the oil and gas industry. Basil Pruitt graduated high school in 1948 and was accepted into Harvard University not to study medicine, but instead to study geology. When asked "Why geology?" He responded, “it is always best to understand the foundations on which you stand before trying to reach for the horizon.”ⁱⁱ Instead of devoting his future to rocks, to the benefit of so many future patients, he instead chose to go to medical school at Tufts University (class of 1957). While in medical school, he entered into an amazing, lifelong partnership in 1954 when he married Molly Gibson Pruitt.ⁱⁱⁱ

Dr. Pruitt started his surgical residency at Boston City Hospital before being drafted in 1959. He was assigned to the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research in San Antonio and completed his residency at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio in 1964.^iv

From 1967 to 1968, Dr. Pruitt served as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Professional Services at the 12th Evacuation Hospital in Cu Chi—the busiest evacuation hospital in Vietnam, where 400−500 major operations were performed each month. He then was appointed Chief of the Trauma Research Team, where he studied the cardiopulmonary responses to injury in combat casualties. Upon his return to the U.S. from Vietnam, Dr. Pruitt became the Commander and Director of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR), Fort Sam Houston, TX, where he served for the next 27 years.

He went on to change surgical history by revolutionizing the management of trauma, burn, and critically ill patients worldwide. The cornerstone of these achievements was his successful integration of clinical and laboratory research. Dr. Pruitt’s work as a leader, surgeon, and scientist at the USAISR forged a model in which rigorous scientific inquiry was followed by a dogged translation into dramatic care improvements.

Dr. Pruitt's Major Contributions to Surgery

Integrated lab and clinical research, unifying teams of surgeon-scientists and researchers focused on solving clinically relevant problems
Multidisciplinary care of the burn patient, with surgeons, nurses, therapists, and researchers providing care as a team
Deployment of the first long range critical care air transport teams for evacuation of burned combat casualties
Description of the metabolic and immunologic effects of thermal injury and development of effective nutritional and anabolic strategies
Refinement of burn shock resuscitation strategies and identification of the problem of over-resuscitation (fluid creep)
Description of the pathophysiology of inhalation injury and treatment with high-frequency percussive ventilation
Topical antimicrobials for the prevention of invasive burn wound infection
Infection control in the burn intensive care unit

Dr. Pruitt retired from the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1995 and accepted a faculty position as professor of surgery at University of Texas (UT) Health, San Antonio, where he held the Dr. Ferdinand P. Herff Chair in Surgery. At UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Pruitt was viewed as a cherished, respected, and beloved mentor and colleague. He supported the development of hundreds of residents, students, faculty, staff, and leaders. As a faculty member, Dr. Pruitt remained an active contributor to the USAISR, while also serving as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Trauma for 17 years.^v

Basil A. Pruitt Jr., MD, FACS receives the National Safety Council's Surgeons' Award for Distinguished Service to Safety at the annual Committee on Trauma dinner. This award is presented each year through the joint efforts of the National Safety Council, the ACS, and the American Association of Surgeons of Trauma, and recognizes outstanding contributions in all aspects of the care of the injured patient.

One measure of his stature as an innovator is the recognition by his peers. He was elected as the President of 12 surgical societies and awarded 11 Honorary memberships during his lifetime. His service to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) culminated in his service as Second Vice- President (2016–2017). Before he was elected to serve as Second Vice- President, Dr. Pruitt was active on a number of College committees and governing bodies, including the following: Surgical History Group Executive Committee (2016– 2018); Program Committee (1987–1990); International Relations Committee (IRC) (member 1982–1993, Chair, 1987–1989); International Guest Scholars Subcommittee of the IRC (member, 1983–1985, Chair, 1985–1987); Advisory Committee, Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program; Board of Governors (1977–1979), Chair of Nominating Committee of the Board of Governors 1978– 1979; and COT (1974–1984). He was recognized by the ACS as the Scudder Orator for Trauma, 1984, and as the Excelsior Surgical Society/Edward D. Churchill Lecturer, 1988.^vi In 2017, a year and a half before his death Dr. Pruitt was honored as an Icon in Surgery at the ACS Clinical Congress in San Diego, CA.

Dr. Basil A. Pruitt Jr., a great surgeon, innovator, mentor, and leader, transformed the surgical and trauma world through his dogged commitment to science and his service to humanity. His work will have a lasting impact on the care of each patient who will be treated at a burn center or trauma center today and into the future.