Synonym(s)
medical leech
DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.
Hermaphrodite, up to 20 cm long ringworm with suction cups at both ends of the body. It can live up to 25 years. If a host is infested, it sucks up to 15 g of blood from warm-blooded animals and can starve for up to a year afterwards.
IndicationThis section has been translated automatically.
- Alive: Postoperative haematomas.
- Dried: For the preparation of ointments ( Hirudin).
Note(s)This section has been translated automatically.
In 1884, the British physiologist John Berry Haycraft discovered that leeches secrete a substance with a strong anticoagulant effect when sucking blood, which he called " Hirudin".
LiteratureThis section has been translated automatically.
Lewis BE et al (2007) Direct thrombin inhibition during percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 5: 57-68
Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer
Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles