Intravenous Therapy
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
This is an extremely useful therapy that has been around for almost a century, but unfortunately has become forgotten. The first doctors to use this substance intravenously were two medical practitioners in the British forces in India during the 1914-1918 war.
They were faced with large numbers of patients dying of pneumonia with the influenza epidemic at the end of the war. They wrote up their findings in the Lancet published in 1922. They treated 26 terminally ill patients with intravenous hydrogen peroxide, and 13 of the patients survived. Not bad considering they had to do a cut down and drip the fluid into a glass cannula; there were no drip sets or intravenous fluids pre-packed at that time.
There was little or no interest in their work until 1988 when Dr Charles Farr working at the Oklahoma Academic Hospital on his PHD thesis on the intracellular effects of hydrogen peroxide, also during a influenza epidemic, sent message around the hospital that anyone who was not well should come to his department. He treated 45 personell on the first day, seven on day 2 who were still not well, and four on day 3. He noted that those patients who needed more therapy had existing lung disease. Dr Farr later started the International Oxidative Medicine Association (IOMA), which he ran until his death in1998.
Dr Farr showed that the body has an abundance of hydrogen peroxide in minute quantities in every cell of the body, and by giving very dilute solutions of hydrogen peroxide it is possible to activate cytochrome P450, promote immune regulation, and exhibit viricidal, bactericidal and fungicidal activity. There are three main enzyme systems that are activated by hydrogen peroxide: catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase.
This therapy may be used in acute and chronic cases. In chronic cases the usefulness comes in with the release of oxygen intracellularly, by the action of catalase which breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water.
This is of great use in tissue that is anoxic due to various reasons. The patient with angina will obtain relief with this therapy, especially with magnesium added to the infusion.
VITAMIN C
This is a remarkable substance to use intravenously when the normal oral dose needs to be exceeded. Diarrhoea may occur when taking doses of 5 or more grams per day, and bowel tolerance is a maximum of 10 grams per 24 hours. Vitamin C in dosages of 25 grams or more take on a therapeutic role that is safe and effective in treating many clinical conditions.
In studying the physiological role of Vitamin C, one realizes that it does a lot more than merely stop humans getting scurvy or giving them expensive urine. It is well known for immune stimulation, but also plays a part in collagen formation, hormone production, liver detoxification, wound healing and in slowing metatastic spread of carcinomas.
CHELATION
Derived from the Greek “chele”, the claw of a crab or lobster, the word refers to the pincer-like binding action of certain chemicals to a metal ion. These chemicals are then excreted mainly via the urine and a small amount via the liver. Heavy metals are a cause of, and contribute to, many chronic disease states.
Toxic levels in the body can be assessed by doing a heavy metal challenge test. This involves being given EDTA, DMPS and DMSA and collecting a urine sample two hours later which is sent to the laboratory for analysis. Based on the results a chelation program can be worked out to clear the toxic metals from the body.
STEM CELLS
This is a technique whereby stem cells are extracted from adipose tissue which is removed from the patient by liposuction. These cells are separated from the fat cells and concentrated by spinning the fluid in a centrifuge and then activated by a specific light frequency, then given back to the patient intravenously. This technology is from ADISTEM and further information can be obtained from their website www.ADISTEM.com.
The advantages of this form of stem cell administration are that the patients get their own cells back, and the problems of contamination and unwanted reactions are greatly reduced.
PLATELET RICH PLASMA [PRP]
Platelets initiate repair and attract the assistance of stem cells. PRP injection therapy works by releasing the growth factors in an injured site or arthritic joint. PRP has 3-9 times the growth factors that whole blood does and can stimulate healing, by rebuilding joint cartilage and strengthening injured ligaments and tendons. This procedure is performed on osteoarthritic joints, e.g. knees, shoulders and ankles. Sports injuries respond well in the acute phase.
This procedure involves taking 50ml of blood spinning it down and discarding the red cells and harvesting the serum, particularly the buffy coat, rich in platelets and white cells. This is further spun and the concentrate of platelets and growth factors extracted and put under the light activator for 10 minutes, then injected into the injured tissue or joint.
The patient is advised to rest the injured area for 24-36 hours and given passive exercises to do to aid the muscles around the joint. There is initially an inflammatory reaction which settles in few days, which responds well to the application of heat, after which the patient should experience some relief of their chronic pain. This procedure is repeated at one to two week intervals [usually 2-3 times].
- Information provided by Dr P Rowan, who presents workshops on the above for practitioners rowan@icon.co.za