title: Leech in urinary bladder causing hematuria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate efficacy of normal saline in the management of hematuria caused by accidental entry of a leech per urethra into the urinary bladder.
  
  
  METHODS
  An intervention study was carried out in the Department of Pediatric Surgery of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College between January 1998 and December 2003. A total of 43 boys (mean age 8 years, SD+/-2.6) were enrolled. In all cases, a leech had entered the urinary bladder through the urethra causing hematuria. All patients were equipped with a self-retaining Foley catheter. They were managed by infusing 50ml of normal saline into the urinary bladder through the catheter that was then clamped for 3h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After removing the catheter, in all cases the whole leech was spontaneously expelled intact, dead or alive, within 2-24h during the subsequent act of micturition. Hematuria gradually diminished to a clear flow within the next 6h in 27 cases, 12h in 14 cases and 24h in two cases. All patients were followed up for 2 weeks, and none developed recurrent hematuria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catheterization and irrigation of the urinary bladder with normal saline is a relatively simple, safe and inexpensive method of removing the leech and controlling hematuria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Bangladesh. shadrul@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Shadrul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Mrigen Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Das Choudhary
authors.forename: Kabirul
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Islam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006417:Hematuria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007865:Leeches; D008297:Male; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014546:Urinary Catheterization
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride