REVITALIZING WOUND CARE: THE EFFICACY OF LEECH THERAPY IN TREATING NON-HEALING ULCERS: A CASE REPORT

Saif Ali Siddiqui*, Sayyed Adnan Mohammad, Mohammad Shoaib and Asia Sultana

ABSTRACT

Background: Non-healing ulcers are becoming a major public health problem. These are the ulcers that do not heal by conservative treatment within six weeks. The high prevalence of leg ulcers directly affects a patient‟s quality of life because it produces psychological (anxiety, depression), and social and physical (amputation) constrain. The treatment of non-healing ulcers involves treatment of the cause, wound cleaning, and dressing properly, maintenance of personal hygiene, management of the infection, and wound closure. Because of its common prevalence and non-availability of affordable treatment, it is worthwhile to look towards the Unani system of medicine where non-healing ulcers can be efficiently treated. Objective: The present article reports the wound-healing properties and efficacies of Leech Therapy in non-healing ulcers. This study provides an efficient and inexpensive alternative management of non-healing leg ulcers and markedly reduces the chances of Surgery. This also shows how the Unani system of medicine is efficient in dealing with non-healing ulcers. Intervention: A 50-year-old female has a complaint of chronic ulcer in her left foot near the medial malleolus with swelling, pain, discharge, and darkening of the skin. Four to five leeches were applied once every week for 2 months. The efficacy of leech therapy was assessed every 15th day based on the selected criteria for assessment of ulcer. Result: In this case report, the ulcer was completely healed, and also showed remarkable improvement in other variables. Conclusion: Leech Therapy has been proven beneficial in treating non-healing ulcers and enhancing patient‟s quality of life.

Keywords: Non-healing ulcer, Pain, Leech therapy, Unani medicine, Hirudotherapy.