Mystical Effect of Leech Therapy an Alternative Ayurvedic Intervention in Thrombophlebitis: A Case Report
Dagar M, Asutkar S, Gautam A (2025) · Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine · n=1
Perfil del estudio
- Diseño
- single Ayurvedic case report of leech therapy (Jalaukavacharan) applied to peripheral intravenous cannula-site thrombophlebitis in a 40-year-old female post-operative fibroadenosis patient (also hepatitis-B positive) presenting with severe pain, swelling, and impaired hand movement
- Tamaño de la muestra (n)
- 1
- Intervención
- Single session of medicinal leech therapy (Jalaukavacharan, Ayurvedic Ilaj-Bit-Tadbeer regimen) applied to the thrombophlebitis site (peripheral IV cannula insertion area) after standard hospital management options had been considered
- Comparador
- Not applicable - single-patient case report
- Punto final primario
- Resolution of pain, swelling, redness, and impairment of hand movement at the IV cannula site as assessed by the visiting infusion phlebitis (VIP) scale at 24 hours post-leech-therapy
- Resultado primario
- Within 24 hours of leech therapy, the patient reported relief of pain and swelling at the cannula insertion site, decreased redness, and improved painless hand movement; outcome assessed using the standard VIP scale; authors describe the case as illustrative of the Ayurvedic Jalaukavacharan regimen for peripheral IV cannula complications
- Duración del seguimiento
- 24-hour post-therapy assessment plus hospitalization-period follow-up
- PMID
- 40131137
Hallazgos clave
- Single Ayurvedic case demonstrating rapid (24-hour) symptom relief of IV cannula site thrombophlebitis with Jalaukavacharan leech therapy
- Validated using the Visual Infusion Phlebitis (VIP) scale — a recognized clinical instrument
- Provides Ayurvedic-tradition documentation of leech therapy for a common iatrogenic complication
- Patient was also hepatitis-B positive — practitioners must consider biohazard chain when applying leeches to such patients
- Adds Indian institutional experience to the broader leech-for-superficial-thrombophlebitis literature
Limitaciones
- Single case (n=1) - cannot establish generalizable efficacy
- No randomized comparator or sham control - placebo and expectancy effects not separable
- Short 24-hour outcome window - long-term recurrence and complication rates unknown
- Hepatitis-B-positive status raises biohazard chain considerations not detailed in abstract
- Selection bias - successful Ayurvedic cases tend to be over-represented in published reports
Implicaciones clínicas
Dagar 2025 documents a single Ayurvedic case of medicinal leech therapy for peripheral IV cannula site thrombophlebitis. For US clinicians, the case is illustrative of the broader Ayurvedic Jalaukavacharan tradition rather than directly clinically actionable, given the absence of a controlled comparator and the short outcome window. The case complements the broader leech-for-superficial-thrombophlebitis literature (Ramelet 2018, Nigar 2011) and supports continued investigation of leech therapy for IV cannula complications under appropriate institutional safety controls. The case is included in the registry to document the active Ayurvedic clinical practice tradition in this area.