Complications in Leech Therapy: How to Prevent and Manage Them

Medical Leech Therapy (MLT) is a traditional medical treatment method that utilizes leeches to bloodsuck and release saliva for the treatment of diseases. However, the use of living leeches for blood drinking may lead to a series of adverse reactions and complications, which may have a negative impact on the patient's health. This article provides a summary of the complications associated with leech therapy in recent years, along with corresponding mitigation measures. The information presented aims to offer medical practitioners using leech therapy a point of reference. Searching Pubmed database in the past 15 years (2008 to 2023), English articles were retrieved with "Leech", "Leeche", "Leech Therapy", "Leeching", "Hirudinea", "Hirudineas", "Hirudotherapy" as keywords. We have identified a total of 19 articles that explicitly discuss complications of leech therapy and their corresponding management measures. The majority of the relevant articles consist of case reports. Among these, 6 articles documented post-treatment infections (46 cases), 3 articles reported skin allergies (42 cases), 4 articles described prolonged bleeding (7 cases), and 3 articles cutaneous pseudolymphoma (4 cases), while 4 articles covered various other complications (4 cases). We have summarized the treatment approaches for these complications. Leech therapy, as a traditional medical approach, does offer certain benefits for specific conditions or symptoms. However, its administration should be conducted under the supervision of medical professionals. It's imperative to emphasize the prevention of complications and the implementation of appropriate treatment measures to enhance the safety of leech therapy. &nbsp

Validity and Reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to Assess Dietary Intake of Preschool Children

As there are few food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to assess the dietary intake of preschool children, this study examined the validity and reliability of an FFQ for this purpose. A total of 210 preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years participated in the validation study, while a subsample of 66 participants joined the reliability study. The FFQ is modified from the ToyBox-study and South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS), and comprised 108 food items from 13 food groups. A three-day estimated dietary record (3DR) was used as reference and reliability was assessed through a second administration of the FFQ (FFQ2), four weeks after the first administration (FFQ1). For the validation study, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ and 3DR. Cross-classification of quartile analysis showed moderate agreement between the two methods. As for reliability, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ1 and FFQ2. Cronbach’s alpha values (0.708 to 0.824) and intraclass correlation coefficients (0.710 to 0.826) showed good agreement between repeated FFQs. The results suggest that the FFQ has acceptable validity and good reliability. Hence, the FFQ can be used to assess preschool children’s food intake

Validity and Reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to Assess Dietary Intake of Preschool Children

As there are few food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to assess the dietary intake of preschool children, this study examined the validity and reliability of an FFQ for this purpose. A total of 210 preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years participated in the validation study, while a subsample of 66 participants joined the reliability study. The FFQ is modified from the ToyBox-study and South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS), and comprised 108 food items from 13 food groups. A three-day estimated dietary record (3DR) was used as reference and reliability was assessed through a second administration of the FFQ (FFQ2), four weeks after the first administration (FFQ1). For the validation study, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ and 3DR. Cross-classification of quartile analysis showed moderate agreement between the two methods. As for reliability, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ1 and FFQ2. Cronbach’s alpha values (0.708 to 0.824) and intraclass correlation coefficients (0.710 to 0.826) showed good agreement between repeated FFQs. The results suggest that the FFQ has acceptable validity and good reliability. Hence, the FFQ can be used to assess preschool children’s food intake