As a soldier, disease could be more fatal than defending the front. In trenches especially, illnesses roamed from one soldier to another. Some advances in medical techniques kept up with extreme destruction of the war. Doctors were able to develop new methods to care for extreme cases of tissue damage and burns. Blood transfusions were even issued on the battlefield. X-rays were used to find bullets or shrapnel in operatins. A special system known as the "triage" that was   As the medical staff grew in America, specifically, the quality of the bases increased. However, most soldiers did not trust doctors. Some even refused care, despite the severity of their wounds sustained in battle.