title: Hijama improves overall quality of life in chronic renal failure patients: A pilot study.
abstract: Present study assesses the therapeutic effectiveness of Hijama (blood letting) inpatients of chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis for past several years with almost no urinary output.24 patients from Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Karachi were selected randomly under going dialysis 2-3 times/week for an average of 3 years under supervision of Dr. Khurram Danial, in-charge nephrologist at dialysis Centre Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Karachi after the written consent from patients. Each patient was subjected to Hijama session once a week after dialysis for a period of one year in a nearby hospital Aligarh Shifa with the consent of the ethical committee of the hospital. Serum urea, creatinine, complete blood count and electrolytes were determined prior to Hijama as baseline values and were again recorded on monthly basis for twelve months of Hijama sessions. The patient's feedback regarding quality of life after each Hijama session shows that almost all the patients reported a significant recovery from severe fatigue which they used to face during the interval between the dialysis sessions. There was significant recovery in all patients from anorexia and insomnia with the improvement in quality of life as compared to patients not undergoing Hijama. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were shifted towards normal in almost all patients after Hijama. Serum Creatinine level was declined significantly, while electrolyte and hematological parameters were also improved significantly. The hemoglobin of all patients undergoing Hijama was maintained near normal without any blood transfusion, which was frequently needed in patients not undergoing Hijama sessions. There was insignificant improvement in Urinary output in 2 out of 24 patients. Results of the present study suggest that Hijama may be performed safely in patients of chronic renal failure on dialysis with overall improvement in quality of life, since there was reduction in fatigue, improvement in appetite, quality of sleep and platelet count.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rafeeq Alam
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Dialysis Centre, Sindh Government Qatar Hospital, Orangi Town, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Khurram
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danial
mesh_terms: D062186:Arterial Pressure; D001815:Bloodletting; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life