Leeches 'save lorry driver's leg'

[Setarime]

An intensive course of leech therapy has helped save the leg of a lorry driver injured in a freak accident.
David Isitt needed more than 30 leeches over a week to suck blood out of a large skin flap on his leg where the skin was struggling to survive.

Mr Isitt, from the Isle of Dogs, faced amputation if the treatment failed - but he is now standing on both legs again, and learning to walk unaided.

The treatment was carried out at the Royal London Hospital.

Mr Isitt was injured in March when he slipped off the side of his tipper truck while checking that his cargo of concrete was secure.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6940832.stm

This may gross some people out but I have heard of quite a few cases where leeches have been sucessfully used

[stubacca68]

this is actualy an age old form of medical care

The leech has long been used in medicine, previously being used to remove poison from the human body, although today its use is mainly limited to limb reattachment procedures instead of the wide-ranging medical use in the past. Leeches have proven highly effective at preventing venous congestion after the surgical re-attachment of fingers, toes, ears and other parts of the body. The word leech either comes directly from or was influenced by the Old English word for "physician", lǣce, which is related to Old High German lāhhi and Old Irish liaig.

Leech saliva contains a number of compounds which assist in its feeding. An anaesthetic limits the sensations felt by the host (and thus reduces the chance of the host trying to detach the leech). A vasodilator causes the blood vessels near the leech to become dilated, and thus provide the leech with a better supply.

Lastly, the leech saliva contains a peptide called hirudin, which is a highly effective anticoagulant. The leech needs this to prevent blood clots (which would block its feeding) from forming in the wound created by its mouthparts. These properties are difficult to achieve using other medical techniques, and it is for this reason that leeches have come back into clinical practice in the last 25 years.

Because of the minuscule amounts of hirudin present in leeches, it is impractical to harvest the substance for widespread medical use. Hirudin (and related substances) are synthesised using recombinant techniques.

quote from wikipedia online encylopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leech

it is a very effective form of wound care, also some hopsitals have started using maggots to clean wounds this is also a very old technique.

Yes, i think its amazing

[Arwen]

Yeah i have seen them being used in hospital for treatment the same as maggots it is amazing nothing scientific bout it but a creature that has been here for millions of years

[Setarime]

it it doesnt cost the NHS a penny

[TGLucario]

thats the good thing about it, its free, but gross!