Homoeopathic Medicine ‘Cantharis 30CH’ Substituted Antibiotic: A Case Report of Infantile Urinary Tract Infection.

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RA JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH
ISSN: 2394-6709
DOI:10.31142/rajar/v4i7.07
Volume: 04 Issue: 07 July -2018
International
Open Access
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1879
Amulya Ratna Sahoo1, RAJAR Volume 04 Issue 07 July 2018
Homoeopathic Medicine ‘Cantharis 30CH’ Substituted Antibiotic: A Case
Report of Infantile Urinary Tract Infection.
Amulya Ratna Sahoo1, Ranjita Pradhan2, Chaturbhuja Nayak3
1Drug Proving Unit of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
2Dr Abhin Chandra Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
3Homoeopathy University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Published Online:
12 July 2018
Corresponding Author:
Amulya Ratna Sahoo
Dr Abhin Chandra
Homoeopathic Medical
College & Hospital,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha,
India.
Introduction: Cantharis is not an uncommon homoeopathic remedy for Urinary Tract Infections
(UTI), but this case was unique as it was a case of rapidly progressing acute UTI. The patient was a
4-month-old infant and the pediatrician of modern medicine had already suggested that
administration of antibiotics was the only way of treatment, but Cantharis 30CH could cure the
case, within a short period.
Case Profile: The four-month-old male baby presented on 5th Jan.2018, with the symptoms of:
incessant crying, especially more before and while urinating; irritability and total loss of appetite.
The routine and microscopic examination (RE&ME) of urine done on 4th Jan. 2018 showed plenty
of leucocytes and subsequent culture of urine sample collected on 5th Jan. 2018 revealed growth of
E.coli >100000 CFU/ml. So the case was a confirmed case of UTI. The parents first visited an
allopathic pediatrician on 4th Jan.2018 and he prescribed antibiotics and advised to start
immediately, but the parents were reluctant to give antibiotics to their 4-month-old baby, so they
visited our OPD and requested for homoeopathic treatment. After thorough case taking and
analysis, Cantharis 30CH was selected; it was advised to dissolve one globule in the breast milk
and give thrice daily. There was significant improvement of symptoms within 3 days; microscopic
examination of urine showed decrease in leucocytes and there was complete disappearance of all
symptoms within 6 days.
Conclusion: It can be concluded from the case report that a well-selected homoeopathic similimum,
in right potency and dosage can cure awful cases of E.coli infections even in infants and can replace
antibiotics and save the little ones from the adverse effects of antibiotics. Clinical trials on the
efficacy of Cantharis on infantile UTI are suggested.
KEYWORDS: Urinary tract infection, Infants, Homoeopathy, Cantharis
INTRODUCTION
After respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract
infections (UTI) are the third most common infections
experienced by humans. UTIs are classified as Lower and
Upper UTI. Cystitis and Urethritis are lower UTIs whereas
upper UTI includes pyelonephritis.(1) The incidence of UTI
varies from infancy to old age.(2) Around 1% of boys and
3% of girls develop UTI during childhood and around 50%
of women have a history of at least one episode of UTI. (3)
Male infants have a relatively higher incidence of UTI,
reflecting congenital abnormalities. A male child with
recurrent UTI should be studied for intravenous pyelography
and micturating cystourethrography to rule out congenital
bladder neck obstruction and vescico ureteric reflux.(2) The
commonest organism of UTI is E.coli; these are the gram-
negative, gut organism. (3) More than 90% of acute UTI in
children is by E.coli and 80% of the first instance of UTI is
due to E.coli. (4) Classical symptoms of UTI are usually not
seen in pediatric practice, so there is a considerable problem
in the diagnosis of UTI, especially in the younger patients.
Clinical features of UTI in childhood are often different
from those found in adults. UTI can occasionally produce
life-threatening illness, especially in very young infants,
who may present severely with shock and septicaemia.
Though UTI is a common problem, there is no established
consensus on investigations and management in
childhood.(5) UTIs are one of the major causes of antibiotic
usage and antibiotic resistance.(1)High recurrence rates and
increasing antimicrobial resistance threaten to greatly
increase the economic burden of these infections.(6) Also

“Homoeopathic Medicine ‘Cantharis 30CH’ Substituted Antibiotic: A Case Report of Infantile Urinary Tract
Infection”
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Amulya Ratna Sahoo1, RAJAR Volume 04 Issue 07 July 2018
administration of antibiotics to children before the age of
two increases the risk of obesity,(7) which in turn may lead
to different lifestyle disorders in future.
Homoeopathy is a system of therapeutics basing upon the
law of similia, which states that a drug, capable of producing
in a healthy person a diseases state exactly similar to
that observed in a diseased person, acts as a curative agent if
the disease is in a curable state.(8) This system provides
efficient solution for many diseases with cost-effective
medicines.(9,10) Also Homeopathy pills being very
palatable for children can be real solution for various
pediatric problems including infantile UTI.(11)
Homeopathy is considered as the ideal treatment option
for infants owing to the safety of homeopathic
medicines. Homoeopathic medicines work by
strengthening a child's immunity. Along with relieving
common acute problems of children it can prevent
recurrent episodes of ill-health.(12) Cantharis
vesicatoria is a widely used homeopathic medicine from
animal kingdom, prepared from the Spanish flies. These
flies are commonly found in Spain, Italy, Hungary, Russia
and India. To prepare the medicine, the flies are killed by
exposing them to fumes of boiling vinegar, then they are
dried and powdered. The powdered flies are triturated with
sugar of milk or mother tincture is prepared in alcohol.
Higher potencies are prepared from trituration or mother
tincture.(13) The main spheres of action of this drug are
urinary and sexual organs.(14) It produces violent, acute,
rapidly destructive inflammation of mucous membranes of
these systems, when administered on healthy individuals.
Its action is rapid and intense.(15) It is a very common and
widely used homeopathic medicine for UTI. According to
Farrington, in acute cystitis, Cantharis is indicated more
frequently than all other remedies put together.(16) In vitro
experimentation(17) and mice model animal experiment(18)
have also proved the efficacy of Cantharis on E.coli. But
sufficient numbers of clinical trials are lacking to establish
the efficacy of Cantharis in infantile UTI.
In this context, the main objective behind this case report
was to experiment the action and efficacy of Cantharis in
infantile UTI especially in regard to observing the speed of
recovery, change of symptoms in regard to frequency,
duration and intensity and change of laboratory parameters
after administration of the intervention.
CASE PROFILE
A four-month-old male baby of an educated and higher
economic status parents, from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
visited our OPD at Dr A. C. Homoeopathic Medical College
and Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India on 5th Jan. 2018.
The parents narrated that the baby was crying most of the
time since 2-3 days, which was severe before and during
urination. He was restless and irritable. The baby was not
taking his food (mother’s milk) properly. He had disturbed
sleep during these days. Regarding the birth history, the
delivery of the boy was institutional and he was born
through caesarian section after full term. His food was only
breast milk. He had no previous history of any disease. He
took vaccines as per immunization schedule. The urine
investigation report of 4th Jan 2018 revealed presence of
plenty of leucocytes and albumin in urine (Fig.1).
Subsequent culture of urine sample of 5th Jan.2018 revealed
growth of E.coli >100000 CFU/ml after 48 hours of
incubation (Fig.2). So the case was diagnosed as UTI and
the causative organism was E.coli. For this the parents had
first visited the nearest paediatrician on 4th Jan.2018, who
prescribed some antibiotics to start immediately. But the
parents were reluctant to administer antibiotics to the small
baby. So in search of some alternative therapy, they came to
the hospital of this institute. On physical examination, the
baby was thin, clinging to his mother. There was no fever;
palpation of lower abdomen made the child to cry
suggesting tenderness of bladder area; other parameters
were normal. As this was an acute case of 4 month old
infant and there was not much to elicit from the case, the
acute totality was portrayed considering the following
symptoms (Table-1).
Table-1 Presenting Complaints of the Patient
Sl. no.
Symptoms
1
Aggravation of pain before and during urination
2
Irritability
3
Loss of appetite
4
Incessant crying
5
Disturbed sleep
The suffering of the small baby and the anxiety of the
parents demanded a speedy recovery of the case. So
considering the acute totality, sphere of action and important
modality, i.e. aggravation of pain before and during
urination, Cantharis was selected as the single
individualized medicine. It was prescribed in the 30th
centesimal potency, one globule dissolved in the mother’s
milk to be administered thrice daily. Parents were advised to
continue the medicine for 3 days without any interruption.
FOLLOW-UP & OUTCOME
After completion of three days of medication, the parents
came for follow up on 8th Jan.2018. There was significant
decrease of the symptoms, irritability reduced, food intake
improved, crying reduced and sleep improved, but
occasional crying during urination was there. The urine
report of 8th Jan. 2018 showed that there was no albumin
and number of leucocytes reduced to 10-15 (Fig.3). Since
there was significant improvement of symptoms but the
patient had some complaints of less intensity, it was decided
to continue the same medicine in 30th potency, one globule
thrice daily for a few more days. The parents were asked to

“Homoeopathic Medicine ‘Cantharis 30CH’ Substituted Antibiotic: A Case Report of Infantile Urinary Tract
Infection”
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Amulya Ratna Sahoo1, RAJAR Volume 04 Issue 07 July 2018
come after 3-4 days with urine report and to continue the
medicine till that time. They turned again after 4 days on
12th Jan. 2018; there was no unusual crying, no irritability,
food intake was normal, sleep was normal. Urine report of
12th Jan. 2018 showed absence of leucocytes (Fig.4). The
recovery was full and complete. The parents were utmost
happy as their child recovered without the administration of
antibiotic. There were no adverse events during the process
of treatment; instead, the improvement of symptoms was
steady in regard to frequency, intensity and duration. Also,
there has been no recurrence of the symptoms till date.
TIMELINE
Table 2. First prescription and Follow-up
Date
Symptoms
Investigation Reports
Medicine Prescribed
5th Jan. 18
Incessant crying, especially more
before and while urinating.
Irritability.
Food intake much reduced.
Disturbed sleep, 8-9 hours.
Urine report-
Epithelial cells 2-4.
Leucocytes- Plenty.
Albumin-present.
Urine culture report- Growth of
E.coli >100000 CFU/ml.
Cantharis 30CH, one globule
thrice daily.
8th Jan. 18
Crying reduced.
Irritability reduced.
Food intake improved.
Sleep improved, 8-10 hours.
Occasional crying during urination.
Urine report-
Albumin-Nil.
Epithelial cells 1-2.
Leucocytes- 10-15.
Cantharis 30CH, one globule
thrice daily.
12thJan. 18
No unusual crying.
No irritability.
Food intake normal.
Sleep normal, 12-14 hours.
Urine report-
Albumin-Nil.
Epithelial cells 1-2.
Leucocytes- Nil.
No medicine
Fig.1 Urine Report (RE&ME) before treatment
Fig.2 Urine Culture Report before treatment

“Homoeopathic Medicine ‘Cantharis 30CH’ Substituted Antibiotic: A Case Report of Infantile Urinary Tract
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Fig.3 Urine Report (RE&ME) during treatment
Fig.4 Urine Report (RE&ME) after treatment
DISCUSSION
UTI is a common disease of all age groups but its
management in newborns or infants becomes more
challenging due to lack of symptoms, non-specific
symptoms or difficulty in eliciting the symptoms. The
commonest way to treat a UTI in the modern school of
medicine is through antibiotics. But the adverse effects of
antibiotics and emergence of antibiotic resistance are now a
real challenge in the field of medicine especially in
developing countries like India, and it also exerts a negative
effect on progressing economy. Apart from other adverse
effects, administering antibiotics in an earlier age also
increases the risk of obesity, which may lead to different
lifestyle diseases in future.(7) As per literature, 1% of boys
can develop UTI during their childhood and this is one of
such cases. The revelation of E.coli as the causative
organism in this case also corroborates with the available
literature that more than 90% of acute UTI in children and
80% of the first instance of UTI are due to E.coli. In this
case, the parents preferred Homeopathy over antibiotics.
The case was approached simply by selecting the remedy on
the basis of acute totality, the sphere of action and important
modality ‘aggravation of pain before and during urination’.
Cantharis, one of the leading homoeopathic medicines for
urinary tract infections as per homoeopathic literature
emerged as the prominent medicine and it was selected and
administered. Disappearance of symptoms and complete
recovery of the baby in the short span of time justifies the
selection of Cantharis and proves its efficacy, and also
confirms the golden words of Farrington that Cantharis is
indicated more frequently than all other remedies put
together in acute cystitis.(16) The case of a 4-month-old
baby, the absence of any other prominent symptoms and
demand for a speedy recovery were the main challenges in
this case.
CONCLUSION
Although non-specific symptoms of infantile UTI may be a
challenge to treat, proper selection of remedy can lead to a
rapid, gentle and permanent cure. In this particular case,
when Cantharis was selected on the basis of acute totality,
sphere of action and important modality, the disappearance
of symptoms occurred and there was complete cure. This
further suggests that it can be a very good remedy for
infantile UTI, and also can avert the use of antibiotics. Thus,
Homeopathy can be a better option for the treatment of
cases of infantile UTI, which can prevent or replace the
early use of antibiotics in these cases. Homeopathy has also
been found effective in the treatment of other urological
disorders like Urolithiasis and Benign Prostate Hyperplasia.
(19–23) Randomized controlled trials to evaluate the
efficacy of Cantharis in infantile UTI with a suitable sample
size are suggested.
INFORMED CONSENT
The parents of the patient provided written informed consent
for use of the investigation reports and publication of the
case report.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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