Hirudo medicinalis officinalis

Authors:Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

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Last updated on: 29.10.2020

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Synonym(s)

medical leech

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DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.

Hermaphrodite, up to 20 cm long ringworm with suction cups at both ends of the body. It can live up to 25 years. If a host is infested, it sucks up to 15 g of blood from warm-blooded animals and can starve for up to a year afterwards.

IndicationThis section has been translated automatically.

  • Alive: Postoperative haematomas.
  • Dried: For the preparation of ointments ( Hirudin).
S.u. leech therapy.

Note(s)This section has been translated automatically.

In 1884, the British physiologist John Berry Haycraft discovered that leeches secrete a substance with a strong anticoagulant effect when sucking blood, which he called " Hirudin".

LiteratureThis section has been translated automatically.

Lewis BE et al (2007) Direct thrombin inhibition during percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 5: 57-68

Authors

Last updated on: 29.10.2020

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter AltmeyerProf. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles