Se presentan los resultados de un total de 55 consultas para dar atencion a 40 casos de ninos de una escuela y guarderia. Los medicamentos se seleccionaron mediante repertorizacion computarizada y se verificaron frente al tipo constitucional de los ninos. El resultado se evaluo en referencia a sintomas blanco preseleccionados. De los 40 ninos, 18 respondieron bien a todos los sintomas blanco; 11 mostraron mejoria en algunos sintomas blanco; siete no respondieron al tratamiento, y en cuatro no se evaluo el resultado. Los ninos con dano organico cerebral, autismo y sindromes definidos respondieron bien. Aquellos cuyo impedimento se debio a una privacion social, generalmente fallaron a la respuesta. Las respuestas mayores fueron un incremento en el impulso y mejoria en el comportamiento hiperactivo y agresivo, los cuales permitieron a los ninos beneficiarse mas de su educacion. Tambien mejoraron sintomas fisicos como la enuresis y el tartamudeo

Background: Mortality in patients with severe sepsis remains high despite the development of several therapeutic strategies. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate whether homeopathy is able to influence long-term outcome in critically ill patients suffering from severe sepsis.Methods: Seventy patients with severe sepsis received homeopathic treatment (n=35) or placebo (n=35). Five globules in a potency of 200c were given at 12 h interval during the stay at the intensive care unit. Survival after a 30 and 180 days was recorded.Results: Three patients (2 homeopathy, 1 placebo) were excluded from the analyses because of incomplete data. All these patients survived. Baseline characteristics including age, sex, BMI, prior conditions, APACHE II score, signs of sepsis, number of organ failures, need for mechanical ventilation, need for vasopressors or veno-venous hemofiltration, and laboratory parameters were not significantly different between groups. On day 30, there was non-statistically significantly trend of survival in favour of homeopathy (verum 81.8%, placebo 67.7%, P=0.19). On day 180, survival was statistically significantly higher with verum homeopathy (75.8% vs 50.0%, P=0.043). No adverse effects were observed.Conclusions: Our data suggest that homeopathic treatment may be an useful additional therapeutic measure with a long-term benefit for severely septic patients admitted to the intensive care unit. A constraint to wider application of this method is the limited number of trained homeopaths. Homeopathy (2011) 100, 95-100.

Background The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of homeopathy compared to conventional treatment in acute respiratory and ear complaints in a primary care setting. Methods The study was designed as an international, multi-centre, comparative cohort study of non-randomised design. Patients, presenting themselves with at least one chief complaint: acute (≤ 7 days) runny nose, sore throat, ear pain, sinus pain or cough, were recruited at 57 primary care practices in Austria (8), Germany (8), the Netherlands (7), Russia (6), Spain (6), Ukraine (4), United Kingdom (10) and the USA (8) and given either homeopathic or conventional treatment. Therapy outcome was measured by using the response rate, defined as the proportion of patients experiencing 'complete recovery' or 'major improvement' in each treatment group. The primary outcome criterion was the response rate after 14 days of therapy. Results Data of 1,577 patients were evaluated in the full analysis set of which 857 received homeopathic (H) and 720 conventional (C) treatment. The majority of patients in both groups reported their outcome after 14 days of treatment as complete recovery or major improvement (H: 86.9%; C: 86.0%; p = 0.0003 for non-inferiority testing). In the per-protocol set (H: 576 and C: 540 patients) similar results were obtained (H: 87.7%; C: 86.9%; p = 0.0019). Further subgroup analysis of the full analysis set showed no differences of response rates after 14 days in children (H: 88.5%; C: 84.5%) and adults (H: 85.6%; C: 86.6%). The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of the primary outcome criterion was 1.40 (0.89–2.22) in children and 0.92 (0.63–1.34) in adults. Adjustments for demographic differences at baseline did not significantly alter the OR. The response rates after 7 and 28 days also showed no significant differences between both treatment groups. However, onset of improvement within the first 7 days after treatment was significantly faster upon homeopathic treatment both in children ( p = 0.0488) and adults ( p = 0.0001). Adverse drug reactions occurred more frequently in adults of the conventional group than in the homeopathic group (C: 7.6%; H: 3.1%, p = 0.0032), whereas in children the occurrence of adverse drug reactions was not significantly different (H: 2.0%; C: 2.4%, p = 0.7838). Conclusion In primary care, homeopathic treatment for acute respiratory and ear complaints was not inferior to conventional treatment.

An open post-marketing surveillance study was conducted to examine the treatment effect and safety of EPs® 7630-solution in the treatment of acute bronchitis in children.This study included a total of 742 children (aged between 0 and 12 years) with acute bronchitis (83.4%) or acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (14.3%), who were treated with different doses of the herbal drug for up to 14 days. Five bronchitis specific symptoms (BSS) were summed up to give an overall measure of disease severity. Non-specific disease symptoms (loss of appetite, diarrhoea, headache, vomiting, and fever) were also recorded, together with adverse events and overall ratings of efficacy and tolerability.The overall BSS score decreased during treatment from 6.0±3.0 points at baseline to 2.7±2.5 points after 7 days and to 1.4±2.1 points after 14 days. Remission or improvement in at least 80% of patients was recorded for all the individual component symptoms. The proportion of patients suffering from non-specific symptoms also substantially improved during treatment. For example, loss of appetite was present in 65.8% of patients at study begin, but only in 27.6% at the time point of last observation visit. In 88.3% of cases, the responsible physician rated the treatment as successful. Adverse events were minor and transitory.In conclusion, EPs® 7630-solution was shown to be a safe and an effective treatment option for acute bronchitis or acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in children.

CONTEXT: Acute respiratory and ear symptoms are frequently treated with antibiotics. Anthroposophic treatment of these symptoms relies primarily on anthroposophic medications. OBJECTIVE: To compare anthroposophic treatment to conventional treatment of acute respiratory and ear symptoms regarding clinical outcome, medication use and safety, and patient satisfaction. DESIGN: Prospective, non-randomised comparison of outcomes in patients self-selected to anthroposophic or conventional therapy under real-world conditions. SETTING: 29 primary care practices in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, UK, and USA. PARTICIPANTS AND THERAPY: 1016 consecutive outpatients aged ≥1 month, consulting an anthroposophic (n = 715 A-patients) or conventional physician (n = 301 C-patients) with a chief complaint of acute (≤7 days) sore throat, ear pain, sinus pain, runny nose or cough. Patients were treated according to the physician’s discretion. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Patients’ self-report of treatment outcome (complete recovery, major improvement, slight to moderate improvement, no change, deterioration) at day 14. RESULTS: Most common chief complaints were cough (39.9% of A-patients vs. 33.9% of C-patients, p = 0.0772), sore throat (26.3% vs. 23.3%, p = 0.3436), and ear pain (20.0% vs. 18.9%, p = 0.7302). Baseline chief complaint severity was severe or very severe in 60.5% of A-patients and 53.3% of C-patients (p = 0.0444), mean severity (0–4) of complaint-related symptoms was 1.3 ± 0.7 vs. 1.2 ± 0.6 (p = 0.5197). During the 28-day follow-up antibiotics were prescribed to 5.5% of A-patients and 33.6% of C-patients (p < 0.0001), anthroposophic medicines were prescribed to all A-patients and no C-patient. OUTCOMES: Improvement within 24 hours occurred in 30.9% (221/715) of A-patients and 16.6% (50/301) of C-patients (p < 0.0001), improvement within 3 days in 73.1% and 57.1% (p < 0.0001). At day 7 complete recovery or major improvement was reported by 77.1% of A-patients and 66.1% of C-patients (p = 0.0004), at day 14 by 89.7% and 84.4% (p = 0.0198). Complete recovery rates at day 7 were 30.5% and 23.3% (p < 0.0001); at day 14 they were 64.2% and 49.5% (p < 0.0001). 69.9% of A-patients and 60.5% of C-patients were very satisfied with their physician (p = 0.0043); 95.7% and 83.4% would choose the same therapy again for their chief complaint (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for country, gender, age, chief complaint, duration of complaint, previous episode of complaint within last year, and baseline symptom severity, odds ratios favoured the A-group for all these outcomes. Adverse drug reactions were reported in 2.7% of A-patients and 6.0% of C-patients (p = 0.0157). CONCLUSION: Compared to conventional treatment, anthroposophic treatment of primary care patients with acute respiratory and ear symptoms had more favourable outcomes, lower antibiotic prescription rates, less adverse drug reactions, and higher patient satisfaction.

These experiments, performed in Graz and in Utrecht, investigate the influence of extremely dilute thyroxine in a special "homeopathic" preparation on two transitions in the metamorphosis of highland amphibia: a) from the 2-legged to the 4-legged stage; b) from the tailed 4-legged stage to the untailed stage, the juvenile frog (performed in the two laboratories in Graz) or to the stage with reduced tail, respectively (performed in Utrecht).

We studied the influence of a moderate homeopathically prepared thyroxine dilution (final concentration in the basin water 10(-13) parts by weight) on the metamorphosis of lowland Rana temporaria which had been hyperstimulated with thyroxine. Two groups of animals were pre-treated by immersing them in a molecular thyroxine dilution (10(-8) parts by weight). This pretreatment speeds up development, as is well known. In accordance with the homeopathic/isopathic idea of detoxication or cure, the same hormone was then diluted and agitated in successive steps for further treatment. This homeopathically prepared dilution was administered at 24-hour intervals to one of the groups. An analogously prepared blank solution was used for the control group. Our hypothesis, which was derived from earlier studies, was that animals treated with the test solution would metamorphose more slowly than the control animals, i.e. that the homeopathically prepared thyroxine would have a 'curative' effect. In this new series of experiments this hypothesis was examined by 3 independent researchers. In the experiments carried out by 2 of the 3 researchers the number of animals that reached the four-legged stage at defined points in time was smaller in the group treated with homeopathically prepared thyroxine. In the third laboratory no difference was found between the groups. However, the overall inhibiting effect was statistically significant and more pronounced than in earlier, less promising studies and in parallel experiments in which nonprestimulated animals had been used. Other studies carried out by the 3 researchers involved animals from highland biotopes, where the natural environment probably induces a greater sensitivity towards thyroxine or higher thyroxine levels. These animals reacted to the homeopathically prepared thyroxine with a slowing down of metamorphosis, even when they had not been prestimulated with a molecular dose of the hormone. This effect was observed in all 3 laboratories and is consistent with the results of previous studies.

Aufgrund des grossen Interesses der Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer der SMGP-Jahrestagung im November 2002 an dem Thema «Phytotherapie in der Frauenheilkunde» wurde im Sinne einer Fortführung der damals begonnenen Diskussionen am 14. Juni 2003 (exakt 12 Jahre nach dem schweizerischen Frauenstreiktag) – wiederum in Solothurn – ein Workshop für alle an dieser Thematik Interessierten durchgeführt. Initiatorinnen und Leiterinnen dieses Workshops waren Dr. med. Regina Widmer, Frauenärztin FMH, und Dr. sc. nat. Beatrix Falch, Apothekerin. Der Workshop wurde bewusst ganz ohne Sponsoring durchgeführt, damit nicht der geringste Vorwurf von Interessenskonflikten aufgebracht werden konnte. Den Workshop-Organisatorinnen war es aber wichtig, dass der Workshop unter dem «Dach» der SMGP stand, damit der phytotherapeutische Erfahrungsaustausch eine wissenschaftliche Verankerung erfahren konnte. Die SMGP ist zur Zeit die einzige Fachgesellschaft, die sich auf wissenschaftlichem Niveau mit der Phytotherapie im weitesten Sinne – also rational wie auch traditionell – beschäftigt. Ausserdem konnte beim Versand der Einladungen auf die Infrastruktur der SMGP zurückgegriffen werden – nochmals ein herzliches Dankeschön an Frau Elisabeth Bács. Verstreutes Wissen Individuelle Erfahrungen mit verschiedenen pflanzlichen Zubereitungen bei gynäkologischen und geburtshilflichen Problemen gibt es wohl zahlreiche, aber diese Erfahrungen werden in den seltensten Fällen einem breiteren Publikum zugänglich gemacht. So liegt dieses Erfahrungswissen verstreut und ungebündelt vor. Daneben besteht bei Frauenärztinnen und Frauenärzten, Hausärztinnen und Hausärzten, Phytotherapeutinnen und Phytotherapeuten, Apothekerinnen und Apothekern, Hebammen sowie den betroffenen Frauen selbst ein grosses Interesse, mehr über die Einsatzmöglichkeiten und die Wirkungsweise von pflanzlichen Zubereitungen bei frauenheilkundlichen Problemen zu erfahren. Allein die Frage bleibt, wie man sich diese Informationen beschaffen kann.

We studied the influence of a high dilution of thyroxine (10(-30)) on the metamorphosis of highland frogs. The hormone was step by step diluted and agitated according to directions given in literature on homeopathy. Analogously prepared water was used as reference. The hypothesis derived from previous studies was that tadpoles treated with the test dilution metamorphose less rapidly than the reference animals. This hypothesis was proven by 3 independent researchers in recent experiments. The number of animals having reached the 4-legged stage, which also includes metamorphosis of the heart and circulation system, at given points in time was smaller under the influence of the homeopathically prepared thyroxine dilution in comparison to the effect of water control. Further experiments indicate that the observed difference becomes more distinct if all animals are pretreated with a molecular thyroxine dose (10(-8)). In this way it has also been possible to induce a response to homeopathically diluted thyroxine in animals from lowland biotopes.

BACKGROUND:Recent meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in homeopathy have suggested that homeopathy is more than a placebo response.OBJECTIVE:Comparison of the effectiveness of homeopathy in primary care with conventional medicine in primary care for three commonly encountered clinical conditions.DESIGN:An international multicenter, prospective, observational study in a real world medical setting comparing the effectiveness of homeopathy with conventional medicine.PARTICIPANTS:Thirty (30) investigators with conventional medical licenses at six clinical sites in four countries enrolled 500 consecutive patients with at least one of the following three complaints: (1) upper respiratory tract complaints including allergies; (2) lower respiratory tract complaints including allergies; or (3) ear complaints.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The primary outcomes criterion was the response to treatment, defined as cured or major improvement after 14 days of treatment. Secondary outcomes criteria were: (1) rate of recovery; (2) occurrence of adverse events; (3) patient satisfaction; and (4) length of consultation.RESULTS:Four hundred and fifty-six (456) patient visits were compared: 281 received homeopathy, 175 received conventional medicine. The response to treatment as measured by the primary outcomes criterion for patients receiving homeopathy was 82.6%, for conventional medicine it was 68%. Improvement in less than 1 day and in 1 to 3 days was noted in 67.3% of the group receiving homeopathy and in 56.6% of those receiving conventional medicine. The adverse events for those treated with conventional medicine was 22.3% versus 7.8% for those treated with homeopathy. Seventy-nine percent (79.0%) of patients treated with homeopathy were very satisfied and 65.1% of patients treated with conventional, medicine were very satisfied. In both treatment groups 60% of cases had consultations lasting between 5 and 15 minutes.CONCLUSIONS:Homeopathy appeared to be at least as effective as conventional medical care in the treatment of patients with the three conditions studied.

Only a few attempts have been made to date to collect data of homeopathic treatment results under the conditions of everyday practice. The purpose of the Integrative Medicine Data Collection Network (IMDCN) is to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and cost±bene®t of homeopathy compared to conventional medicine. It should also provide a scienti®c rationale for the design of further randomized controlled trials in homeopathy.

40 children attending a nursery and school for the handicapped were seen in a total of 55 consultations. Following detailed case taking from parents and school staff, medicines were selected by computer repertorization and verified against the child's constitutional type. Outcome was assessed with reference to preselected target symptoms.