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Latest News from medical section:
Literary week is fast approaching and would be held somewhere in March, 2004. For the second time in a row, medical section would be put to task. Yes, like last year, this year too there would be a medical quiz amongst other events of Literary week. On this day, medical section would be holding interclass quizzes and other activities. So, if you feel interested in being a member of quiz team from your class, let us know.
Latest Medical Research:
Leeches Help with Arthritis Pain
{SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine,
November 4, 2003.}
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Treatment with leeches may reduce pain and stiffness
in patients with arthritis of the knee, German scientists report.
Modern-day medicinal use of leeches is limited to the treatment of blood
clotting problems after surgery. Dr. Gustav J. Dobos, from Kliniken Essen-Mitte,
and colleagues maintain that leech saliva contains anti-inflammatory substances
and other chemicals, which could relieve symptoms of arthritis.
In a study of patients with knee arthritis, Dobos' team compared a single
treatment with 4 to 6 leeches with that of a 28-day regimen of topical
diclofenac-a common treatment for arthritis. Leeches were applied to painful
points of the affected knees of 24 patients and left in place for about 70
minutes, until they detached by themselves.
The new findings are reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
After 7 days, pain scores had improved to a much greater extent in the leeches
group than in the diclofenac group. Moreover, benefits in function, stiffness
and total arthritis symptoms were maintained through 91 days of follow-up, the
report indicates.
The treatment was safe and well tolerated, the authors report, although they
note that leech therapy does carry certain infectious risks.
In a related editorial, Dr. Marc C. Hochberg notes that a search of the Cochrane
Collaboration database revealed no systematic reviews of trials of leeches in
patients with osteoarthritis.
Furthermore, writes the physician from the University of Maryland School of
Medicine in Baltimore, he doubts that the effect was probably anything more than
would be seen with a skin irritant.
"The more exciting aspect of this work is the potential for the discovery of a
novel analgesic agent that could be safely administered without the need for a
leech bite," he concludes.
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