Autopiotherapy

Autopiotherapy (from the Greek autos-self, pion-fat and therapeia-treatment), treatment with one's own pus, a surgical method of conservative treatment for certain types of closed purulent processes. Autopiotherapy is based on the same principle of active immunization as vaccine treatment. The injection of pus causes an increase in antibody production and is considered most effective in terms of specific action on the body. The creator of Autopiotherapy is rightly considered to be Makai (E. Makai, 1922). Many authors point to the exceptional success of Autopiotherapy. The technique of Autopiotherapy: an abscess is punctured aseptically, and a certain amount of pus is aspirated from it. From this pus, untreated, a known dose is injected into the subcutaneous tissue away from the abscess. These punctures and injections are repeated every 3-4 days. The initial dose of 0.5 cubic cm is gradually increased to 3-5 cubic cm. For a cure, 1-10 injections are sufficient. After 3-4 injections, pain sometimes disappears, temperature drops, and general condition improves. The pus in the focus gradually becomes serous and sterile, and the abscess resolves. After injection, there is initially a slight rise in temperature, an increase in leukocytosis, and a focal reaction. Autopiotherapy is used only for closed, localized abscesses; open abscesses, in which the infection is always mixed, do not yield success. Good results have been obtained in treating various abscesses, gonitis, pleuritis, and osteomyelitis. Autopiotherapy is not indicated for severe renal and cardiac patients. Disadvantages of the method: 1) the lack of scientifically based dosage and 2) the appearance (sometimes) of pustules at the injection site. This complication occurred in no more than 1% of cases in Makai and Mikhailevsky and depends on poor injection technique. Autopiotherapy has an advantage over surgical intervention already because a significant number of purulent processes are cured conservatively, without leaving scars on the skin, and the treatment period is shortened. The method requires further development and clinical evaluation and does not exclude surgical intervention.