|
Oh, and by the way, I meant to note that
Jerry doesn't just need a dosimeter, he needs an x-ray machine, but I've
wondered whether some radiography gauge wouldn't be a better "field" emergency
source!? :-)
Thank you.
Regards, Jim
Gerry,
Hyperbaric oxygen works on anoxic bacteria
(which includes gangrene), but my sense was that it was of limited use in
practice (e.g., in 'flesh-eating bacteria' infections, Group A streptococcus).
Of course it has other non-infection uses, including helping open wound
healing, but I didn't think that was in response to infection.
Regards, Jim
"Roger, Jer, the antibiotics will kill the bacteria, but leave behind
necrotic tissue and residual bacteria (and their toxins), which
take days&weeks to clear thru normal phagocytosis and, until cleared,
remain potential sources for recurring infection But, remember,
that maggots (and surgeons!) need access thru an OPEN wound so they cannot
work their magic in deep, buried infections below the surface--which is
where hyperbaric oxygen and low dose radiation come in handy. >From now
on, I expect you to be armed with a dosimeter AND scalpel (or Swiss Army
knife!). Gerry "
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 10:14
AM
Subject: Use low doses of X-rays with
maggots for treating infected wound
I just received a note from a colleague who pointed out that maggots
are excellent for debridement (trimming way nonviable tissue).
So maggots are recommended as a very economical follow-up
treatment, after the infection is stopped.
Interesting!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 9:37
AM
Subject: RE: Low doses of X-rays vs
maggots for treating infected wound
Maggot therapy is well established.
There are established commercial vendors. They remove necrotic tissue
and leave healthy tissue.
But it wouldn't seem
that maggots vs.. LDR would be a matter of preference. Consider
that you couldn't very well use maggots for gas gangrene infection.
Peritonitis? I haven't seen much on LDR in the kind of wounds that are
typically shown that use maggots, but I haven't looked into the full
range of applications. There may be some conditions where both would be
applicable.
For more on LDR applications, see
the Kelly and Dowell book:
Regards, Jim Muckerheide
Jerry:
Just wondering have there been any replications of her methods
and successes, in any controlled studies. I'd hold off on the
maggot treatment until then!! In some worlds a single anecdote
is worth a thousand adverse findings.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004
5:20 AM
Subject: Fw: Low doses of
X-rays vs maggots for treating infected wound
Interesting correspondence with Pam Mitchell.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 8:09 AM
Subject: Low doses of X-rays vs maggots for treating
infected wound
Hi Pam,
Thanks for sending your message (below).
Why radiation? It is "something in nature"
too. We receive radiation from the ground, the water, the
air and the sun.
Every hospital has X-ray machines. It's very
easy to apply a low dose of 50 rad locally to the wound, to increase
the activity of our natural damage-control biosystems, to destroy
the infection.
In the 1930s, hundreds of patients with gas gangrene infections
were treated in American hospitals with low dose of X-rays, and
they recovered without the need for amputation. I
wrote an article about it.* Are
physicians afraid to use it today?
A dose of 50 rad (0.5 Gy) was applied to the wound area over a
3-minute period. Most patients received this dose twice on the
first day, twice on the second day, once on the third day, and once
again on the fourth day.
The X-ray treatments are inexpensive.
A hospital bed for several days would be the major
cost. Wouldn't that be less than
$40,000?
I'm pleased to learn that maggots work
also. I suppose the choice of X-rays or maggots is a
matter of acquired taste and cost.
Sincerely,
Jerry
-----------------------------------
* Cuttler JM. "Disinfecting wounds with radiation".
Annual Conference of Canadian Nuclear Society, Toronto, June 2 - 5,
2002
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004
9:36 PM
Subject: Maggots
Hey why would you want to try radiation instead
of maggots? Maggots are something in nature (but sterilized) work
and extremely cheap!! About $80.00 for 1,000. So how much
does low dose radiation cost??? No one makes money on maggots
either, they work for free. Oh yea, I am Pam Mitchell the lady in
the article. The maggots also worked on my exposed bone and healed
up the osteomyelitis I had been treated for 2 years. At a
cost of about $40,000. The maggots costs, with application costs
for the 10 treatments $2,000. I would highly recommend to anyone
and I would definitely do again in a heartbeat!
Thanks,
Pam
|