Hookworm Infection

Sign/Symptoms
Anaemia (Anemia) Appetite Loss (Anorexia) Cough Coughing Up Blood (Haemoptysis, Hemoptysis) Diarrhoea (Diarrhea) Flatulence (Farting) Growth Impairment or Stunted Pain Abdominal Pain in Upper Abdomen (Epigastric Burning) Skin Itching Generalized Skin Rash Swelling (Oedema, Edema) Weight Loss (Body Mass Index Decreased) Wheezing

Drugs
Mebendazole Pyrantel

Treatments
Alternative Medicine Mugwort (Artemisa Vulgaris) No Recommendation Very Low Evidence Uncaria tomentosa Plant (Cats Claw Herb) No Recommendation Very Low Evidence

Attributes
Commonality for South Africa is common Commonality for China is common Commonality for Zimbabwe is common Commonality for East Africa is common Commonality for Central America is common Commonality for Central Africa is common Commonality for Sub Saharan Africa is common

Further Tests
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Concentration Alpha-1 Antintrypsin (AAT) (Increased) Cerebrospinal Fluid Albumin Concentration Albumin (Cerebrospinal Fluid, CSF) (Increased) Cerebrospinal Fluid Glucose Concentration Glucose (Cerebrospinal Fluid) (Decreased) Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Concentration Cerebrospinal Fluid Total Protein (Increased) Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Electrophoresis Prealbumin (Increased) Albumin (Cerebrospinal Fluid, CSF) (Increased) Cerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential Cerebrospinal Fluid Leukocytes (Increased) Cholesterol Concentration Cholesterol (Total) (Increased) D-Dimer Blood Test D-Dimer (Increased) Eosinophils Count Eosinophils (Increased) Ferritin Concentration Ferritin (Increased) Fibrin Degradation Products (FDPs, Fibrin Split Products, FSPs, Fibrin Breakdown Products, Fbps) Fibrin Split Products (Increased) Fibrin Monomers Test Fibrin Monomers (Increased) Fibrinogen Concentration test Fibrinogen (Increased) Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) Action Assay Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) (Increased) Glucagon Concentration Test Glucagon (Increased) Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Concentration Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) (Decreased) haptoglobin (Hp) concentration haptoglobin (Hp) (Increased) Neutrophil Absolute Count Segmented Neutrophils (Increased) Plasminogen Activity Plasminogen (Increased) Potassium Concentration (K, Blood) Potassium (K, Blood) (Increased) Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein) Alpha-1-Globulin (Blood, Serum) (Increased) Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum) (Increased) Gamma Globulin (Blood, Serum) (Increased) Urine glucose concentration Urine glucose (Increased) Vitamin B12 (VB12) Concentration Vitamin B12 (VB12) (Decreased) White Blood Cell (WBC) Count White Blood Cell (WBC) (Increased)

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Mugwort (Artemisa Vulgaris) [4, 5, 6, 7]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It has been proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has been discounted due life-threatening side effects

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that mugwart helps to treat symptoms of hookworm infections. More research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Cats Claw (Uncaria Tomentosa) [3]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: no recomendation (insufficient evidence to support claims that Cats Claw can help to treat hookworm infections)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

Summary References

Treatments

1. http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/33/1/1

2. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch182/ch182g.html?qt=hookworm%20infection&alt=sh#sec14-ch182-ch182f-1820a

3. http://www.nutrasanus.com/cats-claw.html

4. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

5. Anliker MD, Borelli S, Wüthrich B. Occupational protein contact dermatitis from spices in a butcher: a new presentation of the mugwort-spice syndrome. Contact Dermatitis. 2002;46:72-74.

6. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/mugwort

7. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004.

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