Chelation therapy: Encyclopedia II - Chelation therapy - Uses in conventional medicine

Chelation therapy - Uses in conventional medicine

Heavy metal poisoning is an uncommon medical condition that can have significant effects on nearly every organ system [1]. Mercury, for example, has been strongly implicated as "a potential etiological factor in neurodegeneration" [2]. Chelation therapy is used as a treatment for acute mercury, iron, arsenic, lead, plutonium and other forms of heavy metal poisoning, where the amounts are so high that there is enough risk to the health of the patient to justify the therapy. The buildup of iron in thalassemia has led to use in treatment of that disease as well.

Common chelating agents include deferoxamine, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), D-penicillamine, dimercaprol (BAL), and calcium disodium versante (CaNa₂-EDTA). The choice of chelating agent depends on which metal is involved. The chelating agent may be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or orally, depending on the agent and the type of poisoning.

One example of successful chelation therapy is the case of Harold McCluskey, a nuclear worker who became very badly contaminated internally with americium in 1976. He was treated with diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) over many years to remove americium from his body. While it was not possible to remove all of the americium, it was possible to mitigate the effects of the accident. Harold McCluskey had 41 MBq (1.1 mCi) of ²⁴¹Am removed from his body, a significant proportion. Harold McCluskey died of unrelated causes 11 years after being contaminated.

The calcium salt of diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid can be used to reduce the amount of plutonium retained in the human body by a factor of about 10 if it is given within about 20 minutes of plutonium entering an open wound. For long term treatment, the zinc salt should be used as this removes fewer vital trace metals from the body.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Uses in conventional medicine", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki