TI:  Application of Medical Ozone Therapy in Patients with Sickle 
     Cell Anemia, Preliminary Report

DT:  Nov 1989

AU:  Silvia Menendez, Edgardo Espinosa, James A. Caplan and 
     Wilfredo Diaz

SO:  National Center for Scientific Research, Ozone Research 
     Center, Havana, Cuba.

AB:  In patients with sickle cell anemia, the reduction in the 
     availability of oxygen to the cells, produces painful 
     crisis, infarction, abdominal and/or muscle pains, ulcer, 
     etc.  On the basis of some medical properties of ozone, 
     concerning the ability to increase the rate and the capacity 
     of absorption of oxygen in erythrocytes, and evaluation 
     about the effectiveness of this treatment for the prevention 
     and/or the timely resolution of the crisis was made.  For 
     the controlled clinical trial, 55 adult sickle cell anemia 
     patients were studied, each suffering from painful crisis.  
     Two groups were established: control group, comprised of 25 
     patients who received conventional treatment, and 
     ozone/oxygen treated group, comprising 30 patients who 
     received the same treatment plus ozone therapy, by 
     intrarectal administration, during 15 sessions.  The average 
     time required for resolution of painful sickle cell crisis 
     in ozone/oxygen treated patients was half the number of 
     hours required to solve painful crisis in control patients.  
     Frequency and severity of painful crisis in sickle cell 
     anemia patients who received ongoing ozone/oxygen therapy 
     diminished in the six-month-period-follow-up, in comparison 
     with control group patients.