HOMEOPATHY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTICS Professor Dr. Michael FRASS Medical University of Vienna, Department Medicine I Doctor s Asscociation for Classical Homeopathy www.aekh.at President, Umbrella Organization of Austrian Doctors for Holistic Medicine www.ganzheitsmed.at 1.Chairman of Scientific Society for Homeopathy www.wisshom.de
Law of Similars Provings in healthy people Single remedies Potentization 2
PROBLEMS WITH ANTIBIOTICS Resistance against antibiotics (AB) increasing Upper airway infections caused by viruses in 90% AB do not help against viral infections 75% of AB prescribed for upper airway infections
PROBLEMS WITH ANTIBIOTICS Diarrhea (up to 47.8% rate in children treated for definite otitis media) Diaper dermatitis Anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions
PHARMACOECONOMIC COMPARISON BETWEEN HOMEOPATHIC AND ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT STRATEGIES IN RECURRENT ACUTE RHINOPHARYNGITIS IN CHILDREN TRICHARD M, CHAUFFERIN G, NICOLOYANNIS N HOMEOPATHY 2005;94:3-9
OBJECTIVES Pharmacoeconomic study comparing: medical effectiveness quality of life costs of 'homeopathic strategy' vs 'antibiotic strategy in routine medical practice by allopathic and homeopathic GPs in treatment of recurrent acute rhinopharyngitis in 18-month to 4-year-old children.
METHODS 499 patients, 6-month prospective, pragmatic study Patients regrouped according to type of drug prescribed Medical effectiveness assessed: episodes of acute rhinopharyngitis complications adverse effects Quality of life: Parents-ENT-Qol scale
RESULTS Homeopathic strategy: significantly better results than antibiotic strategy: medical effectiveness (number of episodes of rhinopharyngitis: 2.71 vs 3.97, P<0.001 number of complications: 1.25 vs 1.95, P<0.001 quality of life, global score: 21.38 vs 30.43, P<0.001
RESULTS Homeopathic strategy: lower direct medical costs covered by Social Security (88 vs 99 Euros, P<0.05) significantly less sick-leave (9.5% vs 31.6% of parents, P<0.001)
CONCLUSION Homeopathy may be a cost-effective alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of recurrent infantile rhinopharyngitis.
CASE REPORT: CHILD 5 Y Mother desperate on weekend: little daughter fever up to 38 C together with pain in region of umbilicus. Pain extends transversely across abdomen to right side, no extension to scapulae
CASE REPORT: CHILD 5 Y Repertorization: Abdomen pain umbilicus, abdomen pain region of umbilicus transversely across. Therapy: Chelidonium C30 10 min later: no more pain 1 h later: no more fever No antibiotic needed
FISTULA LEFT EAR: CHILD 16Y Innate. Surgery unsuccessful. Ear swells, red, hot, painful: Belladonna C30
FISTULA LEFT EAR: CHILD 16Y Spontaneous opening of fistula with suppuration. Discharge stops without further antibiotic treatment.
Septic fever caused by submandibular abscess cured without antibiotics. Opening of abscess with discharge of putride liquid without surgical intervention (Day 5) ( Take it easy )
METAANALYSIS INFECTIOUS DISEASES: 17 STUDIES WITH BINARY ENDPOINT
METAANALYSIS INFECTIOUS DISEASES: 10 STUDIES WITH CONTINUOUS ENDPOINT
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY TO COMPARE HOMEOPATHY AND CONVENTIONAL THERAPY IN ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA. Sinha MN, Siddiqui VA, Nayak C, et al. Homeopathy 2012;101:5-12
ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA Doubleblind placebo-controlled trial of homeopathy vs conventional treatment in AOM (n = 81) Both groups: equivalent recovery rates by end of study Homeopathy group: - more rapid onset of symptom improvements - much lower rates of antibiotic prescriptions (0%) than conventional group (97.5%)
ADJUNCTIVE HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE SEPSIS: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT M Frass, M Linkesch, S Banyai, et al. Homeopathy 2005; 94: 75-80 Background: Mortality in patients with severe sepsis high despite several therapeutic strategies Aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial: to evaluate whether homeopathy is able to influence long-term outcome in critically ill sepsis patients
ADJUNCTIVE HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE SEPSIS: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT Methods: Ò 70 patients with severe sepsis received homeopathic treatment (n = 35) or placebo (n = 35) Ò Five globules in a potency of 200c given at 12 h interval during stay at ICU Ò Survival after a 30 + 180 days recorded
SURVIVAL IN SEPSIS Significant better survival with additive homeopathy
ADVANTAGE OF HOMEOPATHY Homeopathic medicines are generic and low-cost in comparison with antibiotics No side effects Metabolism of patient not affected If number of conventional drugs (especially in elderly) patients can be reduced, the number of potential interactions between conventional drugs can be reduced
HOMEOPATHY ALTERNATIVE Homeopathy can be an alternative to AB Existing literature supports evidence