Homoeopathy in the ICU
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1993 Sep / Oct Vol II NO 5.
Dr Sanjay Banerjee.
` Sec-c / Sep / Op
Occasionally we are summoned to treat a patient in the intensive care
unit. These patients are usually unconscious or heavily sedated by a cocktail of potent
drugs, and have many tubes and catheters inserted in them. There is also an air
conditioner running. All these suppress the signs and symptoms and put us in a dilemma.
How to prescribe a true similimum?
From the beginning, we have been taught to - prescribe on the totality of
symptoms alone. Again Kent says: "do not expect results when the prescription is made
on particulars".
Hahnemann was the one who first taught us to prescribe on totality of
symptoms (Aphorism 118), but he had also instructed us to be Unprejudiced observers,
(Aphorism 6).
Observe, observe and observe. Despite all the above impediments, wise
nature sometimes still manages to reveal some signs to the observer.
Be "unprejudiced". Having favourite remedies for a name of
disease will surely lead to failures.
In the ICU patient, get details of the complaints which will help in
prescribing. Is the patient experiencing a high fever? Is it continuous or intermittent?
Is the sweat absent? what is the time of the paroxysm? what are the concomitants? Are the
pupils dilated? Is the breathing stertorous does he want to be fanned? Are these symptoms
suppressed or produced by drugging?