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Biomedical subjects

George T Lewith

Publications and source records attributed to George T Lewith.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Enzyme potentiated desensitisation in treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis: double blind randomised controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of enzyme potentiated desensitisation in the treatment of severe summer hay fever poorly controlled by pharmacotherapy. DESIGN: Double blind randomised placebo controlled parallel group study. SETTING: Hospital in Hampshire. PARTICIPANTS: 183 participants aged between 18 and 64 with a history of severe summer hay fever for at least two years; all were skin prick test positive to timothy grass pollen. 90 randomised to active treatment; 93 randomised to placebo. INTERVENTIONS: Active treatment: two injections of enzyme potentiated desensitisation, given between eight and 11 weeks apart, each comprising 200 Fishman units of beta glucuronidase, 50 pg 1,3-cyclohexanediol, 50 ng protamine sulphate, and a mixed inhaled allergen extract (pollen mixes for trees, grasses, and weeds; allergenic fungal spores; cat and dog danders; dust and storage mites) in a total volume of 0.05 ml of buffered saline. Placebo: two injections of 0.05 ml buffered saline solution. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of problem-free days; global rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life scores assessed weekly during pollen season. RESULTS: The active treatment group and the placebo group did not differ in the proportion of problem-free days, quality of life scores, symptom severity scores, change in quantitative skin prick provocation threshold, or change in conjunctival provocation threshold. No clinically significant adverse reactions occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Enzyme potentiated desensitisation showed no treatment effect in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Acupuncture compared with placebo in post-herpetic pain.

A single blind randomised controlled study of auricular and body acupuncture compared with placebo (mock transcutaneous nerve stimulation) was performed in 62 patients with post-herpetic neuralgia. There was no difference in the amount of pain relief recorded in the two groups during or after treatment; 7 patients in the placebo group and 7 patients in the acupuncture group experienced significant improvement in their pain at the end of treatment. This suggests that acupuncture is of little value as an analgesic therapy for post-herpetic neuralgia. However the study method and the use of a mock transcutaneous nerve stimulator as a placebo may be of value when assessing the effects of acupuncture in other conditions.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1983

On the evaluation of the clinical effects of acupuncture.

This paper reviews some of the recent randomised trials on acupuncture published in the literature, with particular reference to the definition of placebo (control), sham acupuncture and real acupuncture. Response rates of 30, 50 and 70% of placebo, sham and real acupuncture respectively, are suggested for the groups of patients studied. The statistical methodology necessary in the design of acupuncture trials, in order to detect differences of this order of magnitude, is discussed. If the postulated response rate had been envisaged at the onset of the trials here reviewed, then the majority of these trials have very low power at a conventional 5% level of significance. It is emphasised that one cannot necessarily conclude from trials which produce statistically non-significant results that acupuncture (when compared with placebo for example) is ineffective. The paper suggests that meaningful comparisons between alternative treatments may be made by using 'pain free intervals' with subsequent analysis using life table techniques. Tables are provided for determining appropriate patient numbers.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Complementary medicine: evidence base, competence to practice and regulation.

This paper describes the current status and evidence base for acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal and manipulative medicine, as well as the regulatory framework within which these therapies are provided. It also explores the present role of the Royal College of Physicians' Subcommittee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in relation to these developments. A number of CAM professions have encouraged the Royal College of Physicians Subcommittee to act as a reference point for their discussions with the conventional medical profession and the subcomittee believes that they are able to fulfil this function.

Clinical Competence↗