Research On The Pattern Of Local Edema Caused By Apitherapy

Apitherapy has a long history of widely using in the folk and is an effective method used to treat difficult and complicated cases, such as rheumatism. Since the effectiveness and simpleness of apitherapy, it is widely used to cure various diseases both in the medical field and in the folk. However, in the process of apitherapy, allergic reactions occur accidentally, from mild to severe, and some are even hard to detect. Therefore, studies on adverse reactions of apitherapy are necessary. It can not only improve the curative effect of apitherapy, but also can decrease the accident rate in the process of apitherapy. It is beneficial to the rational application of the treatment and the promotion of apitherapy. This study is designed to find out the pattern of edema caused by apitherapy, one of the adverse effects in the treatment, to master the pattern of edema, lessen the edema degree and to find an effective way to stop it, in order to increase the compliance with this therapy and promotion of apitherapy applications.ObjectiveTo observe the pattern of local edema caused by apitherapy, to probe into the mechanism and prevention of local edema, in order to provide the basis for the occurrence of local edema reaction in the treatment.Methods118 cases according with diagnostic criteria, inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were selected and divided into an early stage group (58 cases) and a long-term stage group (60 cases). The early stage group were randomly divided into a retained needling group (29 cases) and a swift pricking group(29 cases). According to different diseases, stage of illness, treatment response and period of treatment, different acupoints and treatments were chosen. In this study, retained needling was used in the retained needling group and the long-term stage group, while swift pricking was used in the swift pricking group. The initial dosage in the retained needling group was one needle by retained needling. If no any discomfort or mild edema which could be tolerated occurred, then one more needle could be used in the third or fourth treatment until adding to three needles or more, which depended on individual tolerance and illnesses. Once every other day, fifteen times for a course of treatment, two treatments were observed. The initial dosage in the swift pricking group was also one needle by swift pricking, used for two to three acupoints. If no any discomfort or mild edema which could be tolerated occurred, then one more needle could be used in the third or fourth treatment until adding to three needles or more, which depended on individual tolerance and illnesses. Once every other day, fifteen times for a course of treatment, two treatments were observed. According to individual tolerance and illnesses, different bee needles were used by retained needling in the long-term stage group. Once per seven days, eight times for a course of treatment, two treatments were observed. After every treatment, areas of partial redness and swell on the skin, feelings, degree of edema, fastigium of edema, duration of edema were observed, with SPSS 13.0 statistics software for statistical analysis.Results1. The incidence of local edema on the skin after apitherapy is 98.83%, which means almost all the treated cases will react. The fastigium of edema degree is mostly in gradeⅠ, gradeⅡ(87.29%). The requirement of detumescence after apitherapy is less (21.19%).2. The pattern of local edema degree shows mild-serious-mild response along with times of treatment. The edema degree shows a considerable degree of the previous in the former 3 times (P> 0.05), while edema degree increases significantly from the fourth to tenth and becomes less than the previous from the eleventh. Such a reaction maintains generally about 10-12 times, and then becomes steadier.3. Fastigium of local edema occurs about 5 hours after apitherapy in the long-term stage cases, but it occurs between 15-30 hours in the early stage cases. The duration of edema lasts about 10 hours in the long-term stage cases, but it occurs between 20-50 hours in the early stage cases. The early stage cases lasts longer than the long-term stage cases in the fastigium and duration of edema (P<0.05). 4. Prevention of local edema by swift pricking is better than by retained needling (P< 0.05).5. Shenshu is comforter than Zusanli and Quchi in feelings of local edema (P＜0.05).6. Pattern of local edema after apitherapy differs along with the patient's medication. The degree of edema differs between cases taking corticosteroids and that not taking medicine (P＜0.05).7. When local edema goes with itching, if scratching, the degree of edema will increase (77.12%). While edema goes with fever, the degree of edema will also increase.Conclusions1. The local edema after apitherapy is a common side effects, but the degree of edema is mils, therefore, only a small number of patients have the requirement of detumescence, which can be relieved by ice compress and plastering potatoes.2. The degree of local edema in the long-term stage cases is milder than the early stage cases. The prevention of edema by swift pricking is better than by retained needling. Shenshu is comforter than Zusanli and Quchi in feelings of edema. Therefore, swift pricking and Shenshu suit to the early stage cases.3. Patient's medication takes some effect on the pattern of edema. Generally, those who take medicine react slightly.4. When local edema goes with itching and fever after apitherapy, scratching and fever will increase the degree of edema.5. The mechanism of local edema caused by apitherapy attributes to anaphylaxis, belonging to angioneurotic edema, but bee venom hemolysis itself may also cause edema.