Cocktail for little roommates

Galina Kostina, Special Correspondent of the Expert magazineHe was brought to the N. V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Ambulance in the morning in an unconscious state.

Male, 34 years old, barbiturate poisoning, extremely serious condition. In the intensive care unit, he was quickly connected to artificial ventilation and blood purification systems, although they understood: with such a breakthrough of the poison taken, a man is not a tenant. However, the doctor on duty decided to apply a recently approved technique — washing the gastrointestinal tract with a special solution. The next morning, the toxicologist was amazed: "not a tenant" got up in bed and hoarsely boomed: "Can't you find a cigarette?"

The life-giving solution, developed by specialists of the Sklifosovsky Institute in the mid-seventies as a means of therapy after surgical interventions in the gastrointestinal tract, began to be used in toxicology only in 1984. Toxicologists have long been tormented by the problem of how to get a patient out of a serious condition if the poison that they remove from the blood re-enters there from the gastrointestinal tract. Patients in such difficult cases could die not so much because of the poison, but because of lengthy blood purification procedures, leading to a sharp drop in pressure, disruption of the water-electrolyte balance of blood plasma and other devastating consequences. It was impossible to clean the gastrointestinal tract of a patient "in a blackout" until the specialists of the clinic came up with, tested and implemented a new technology. As it turned out later, the technology turned out to be good not only for these purposes.

It will raise the deadNow a senior researcher at the Acute Poisoning Department of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Medicine, Candidate of Medical Sciences Viktor Matkevich came to work in the toxicology department of the Institute in 1978 and found a clear discrepancy between theory and practice.

How is it, he wondered, that patients clean their blood, but they do not clean the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract), where the bulk of the poison is located. As soon as the concentration of poison in the blood decreases as a result of cleaning, it re-enters from the gastrointestinal tract. And this could go on not only for hours, but also for days. The outcome depended only on whether the body could endure this struggle or not. Colleagues with Matkevich agreed: they say, we know everything, but here we have a plug. How can the gastrointestinal tract be cleaned if the patient is unconscious? He can't drink, his peristalsis doesn't work, you can insert a probe into his stomach — and it's no use when you need to into a thin and sinuous intestine. "Well, something has to be done about it!" insisted Matkevich. The reaction of the management was predictable: that's what you're going to do, brother.

It was necessary to solve two problems — what to wash and how. Matkevich sat down for literature, began to question specialists. He was just lucky with the solution. At first, he believed that, in fact, it did not matter what to wash, it seemed that some funds were available at that time. His delusion was pointed out by pathophysiologists specializing in the digestive system from the Department of new methods of diagnosis and treatment in surgery of the Sklifosovsky Institute. They came up with a solution for early feeding of patients after surgical interventions. It was necessary to create a mixture that would be easily digested and would not require additional digestive function from the patient. This solution contained all the necessary macronutrients, such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, carbon and others, which were quickly absorbed into the blood and restored the water-electrolyte balance disturbed as a result of surgical interventions. Scientists explained to Matkevich that if he starts to flush the gastrointestinal tract with an unbalanced composition, he can achieve an unexpected effect and ruin the patient: pumping a large amount of unbalanced fluid will wash out the missing elements from the body. The circulatory system and the gastrointestinal tract are interconnected. According to the concentration gradient, substances can move from one system to another. For example, if there is no potassium in the solution, then potassium will be taken from the blood. And if you take away important elements from the blood, then a condition incompatible with life may develop.

Together with these scientists, Matkevich began testing the solution on animals to find out whether it would be possible to remove the poison in the gastrointestinal tract with its help, and what would happen to the composition of the blood. Barbiturate poisoning was simulated on animals and then the solution was administered. They were injected until barbiturates were no longer detected in the washing waters. The blood test also showed that intestinal lavage "takes" the poison from the blood. At the same time, the water-electrolyte balance turned out to be normal.

In parallel with preclinical tests, a method of administering the solution to people was being searched. A special probe was needed — a tube with two channels, through one of which the solution should be fed into the intestine, and through the second, it should be removed from it. There were no ready-made probes, it was necessary to order them somewhere. Having sketched an approximate drawing, Matkevich went to the Vulkan galosh factory. Why there? Well, rubber! In addition, there was an experimental workshop. The probe was made at Vulcan, but the products turned out to be rough. The search for specialists led Matkevich to the Research Institute of Rubber and Latex Products. They've already done better there. "But I needed it even better: the tubes should be more flexible, the tip is gentle so as not to injure the tissues," he says. Matkevich was lucky in the Design Bureau of the cable industry in Mytishchi. The head of the laboratory where medical devices were developed became terribly interested in the problem himself. It is possible to make a flexible two-channel tube, but how to insert it into the duodenum? Getting into the stomach is not a problem, it is almost a straight path, but then the stomach bends, and it is difficult to find the entrance to the intestine blindly. It was possible to insert the probe with the help of surgery, but this method was not suitable for Matkevich: you wouldn't cut a patient who was already breathing hard. At that time, gastroscopy techniques were just beginning to be used in medicine: devices appeared with which it was possible to examine the stomach and intestines. In principle, it was possible to attach the probe to the gastroscope, but Matkevich did not like this method. In the end, they made a probe with such a tip design that helped to enter the intestine. And they followed his movement with the help of the same gastroscope.

Clinical trials began in 1983. And the toxicologists breathed a sigh of relief. From the very first applications, it became clear that the problem was successfully solved. It became possible to remove patients from the most difficult conditions, whose lives were hanging by a thread.

Three kilos of roommatesThe method of washing the gastrointestinal tract with a special solution has received a permanent registration in toxicology.

It was approved for use and even became the standard for detoxification. They began to use it in narcology.

Meanwhile, Viktor Matkevich used to continue to communicate with patients who managed to return to normal life with the help of a new technique. One lady once, embarrassed, confessed: they say, I don't know, doctor, what it's connected with — whether with stress, or with washing — but the painful constipation disappeared. Several other patients reported the same effect. "I was interested," says Matkevich. — One example is an accident, but several are already a trend. I decided to try it on myself. Moreover, I remembered similar yoga procedures and drank our solution with exercises. And then without them." According to Matkevich, taking the solution caused a pleasant feeling of flexibility and enlightenment without any yoga. I put relatives, acquaintances and friends of acquaintances through these procedures. At the same time, he became more active in asking both former patients and volunteers who had gone through "purgatory" about the effects. And I was pleasantly surprised. Many lost several kilograms, got rid of acne, allergic reactions and generally became more cheerful and healthier.

Matkevich began to communicate with experts in various fields to find out what the mechanisms of these effects might be. I remembered the founders of the solution and their conversations on the topic of our "inner life". I started reading special literature again. And, having delved into microbiology, I found many answers there.

"Do you know that there are ten times more microbes in the human body than the actual cells that make up the body? Well, if it's hard to imagine, then believe me that about three kilograms of microorganisms live in each of us," says Matkevich. Only relatively recently, scientists have taken up a more thorough study of the microbial community, or microbiota, living in our organisms. It turned out that there are more than 500 species of our little roommates. And most of them, about 90%, are the so—called obligate microbiota, microorganisms that are mandatory for our existence. A little more than 9% is a facultative group of microbes that resides in our body for various reasons, and less than 1% are viruses, protozoa and fungi — random microbiota that temporarily got where it is not necessary. And if earlier it was believed that there are a couple of types of beneficial bacteria, such as lacto— or bifidobacteria, and the rest are parasites that need to be disposed of in every possible way, now the microbiota is respectfully called another human organ, and the symbiosis of the macroorganism and microbiota is an evolutionary solution to many physiological problems.

It turned out that microbes perform so many functions in the body that we cannot live without them. They are involved in the synthesis of amino acids, vitamins, biogenic amines, hormonally active substances, antioxidants, in the regulation of lipids and cholesterol, in the regulation of pressure. They take part in the breakdown of some difficult-to-digest substances, in particular cellulose, they secrete substances that can neutralize pathogenic microorganisms.

Bad and good microorganisms are in constant antagonism. If a person is healthy, it means that "ours" has won and the majority has a consensus with the minority. Changing forces in favor of harmful bacteria can lead to so-called dysbiosis and, as a result, various diseases. "You went out into the cold and rain, you were chilled — this caused the so—called cortisol stress," Matkevich gives an example. "And he, in turn, so influenced the composition of the microflora that conditionally pathogenic bacteria multiplied and gave that painful condition that we call a cold." The composition of the microflora can be influenced by a number of reasons: adrenaline stress (after dismissal, for example), hormonal changes, the nature of nutrition.

"I began to look for a connection with the effects that were observed in patients," says Matkevich. — And found both already proven facts and hypotheses. For example, I tend to think, based on scientific publications, that allergic reactions can cause so—called histamine-producing microorganisms (histamines are substances that cause muscle spasm). If these bacteria settle on the bronchial mucosa, they may well cause bronchial spasm. By the way, the famous bacterium Helicobacter pylori is also histamine-producing."

There are microorganisms that produce substances that target the cells of the adrenal glands, and those, as a response, begin to produce their own substance, leading to vasospasm and increased blood pressure. This may explain the fact that the pressure can jump, despite taking medications that reduce pressure.

Toxins of fungi of the genus Candida, usually living in the colon, and with the mass reproduction of exciting new territories — the oral cavity and the genitourinary system — can affect insulin-producing cells, which is one of the causes of diabetes.

Armed with new knowledge, Matkevich decided, firstly, to modify the solution in order to use it according to new indications. He added microelements and vitamins to it, which are useless for poisoning, but are important for the normalization of microflora. "How does the solution work? Firstly, it quite easily washes out the bulk of the bad microflora, which, fortunately, “hangs out” in the intestinal cavity, unlike the good one, which likes to attach tightly to the intestinal mucosa. Secondly, the solution corrects the water-electrolyte composition of the blood plasma: the necessary elements enter the blood, the unnecessary ones are excreted through the intestines, the acid-base balance is normalized. Thirdly, it has a beneficial effect on beneficial microflora (in particular, unlike other means with an alkaline medium, this solution has a slightly acidic environment, which has a beneficial effect on healthy flora and suppresses most pathogenic). Fourth, it restores the permeability of the intestinal barrier so that only the right substances get into the blood and unnecessary ones do not get into the blood." These mechanisms lead to normalization and improvement of the work of many systems and organs.

Three liters in three hoursIn addition to the ideal formulation for the solution, Matkevich developed a methodology for its application.

In 1997, he and a friend created a cooperative in which they used this technique with home visits to patients. But two years later, the cooperative was closed (it was forbidden to provide medical care at home, it was necessary to re-register the LLC), and Matkevich began to earn extra money with his methodology in various medical centers. Establishing work in one center, I moved to the next. And two years ago, a young man Vasily Pogromov came to him, to whom his father, a professor, head of the department of gastroenterology at the MMA, told about the technique. Sechenov. Vasily himself is also a medic. He offered to organize a company that would promote the solution and the technique to various medical institutions. "The beauty of creating such a company was that the initial investments were very small — about 50 thousand dollars, and the overhead costs were small. The courier delivers the solution, which is made for us by order at one of the pharmaceutical enterprises in Moscow, to medical centers in a passenger car," Pogromov says. "The money was mainly used to create a website, seminars for doctors." The company was named SPA-Efference, and Vasily became its CEO. The first partners were familiar doctors working in medical centers or heading them. The chief physician of the medical center "City Resort" Sergey Vinogradov says that he has been working with SPA-Efference for a year. On the basis of her methodology, several different comprehensive body cleansing programs have been compiled. "We use it to overcome the effects of antibiotic therapy, in the weight correction program, in case of stool disorders, with high cholesterol. This method is good for correcting the condition of people who, on duty or at the call of the heart, load the liver with alcoholic beverages. Another observation: a scandalous climacteric lady who took a solution for dysbiosis got rid of unpleasant manifestations of hormonal changes — hot flashes, sweating, high blood pressure, irritability, and at the same time dropped four kilograms. Another patient got rid of a beer belly weighing eleven kilograms in eleven procedures," says Vinogradov.

According to him, the average course is seven to nine procedures, during each of which the patient drinks about three liters of solution for three hours, and does it under the supervision of a doctor and by the hour. The procedure is not cheap, Vinogradov admits, in combination with tests and ultrasound, such a course can cost 45 thousand rubles, but, in his opinion, it is worth it and is in demand. It is physiological, painless, can in principle replace several procedures, such as washing the gastrointestinal tract, cleansing the blood and liver, and leads to very good results. The chief physician of the sanatorium "Altai Castle" Larisa Taryzhkina believes that this technique is effective in the treatment of gastroenterological and dermatological patients, contributes to the improvement of all metabolic processes in the body.

In less than two years, SPA-Efference has more than 40 partners, not only in Moscow, but also in several other cities of Russia. The turnover of the company, which Pogromov is not inclined to talk about, increased by 60% in the second year of operation. "This year, taking into account the impact of the financial crisis, growth will be only 35 percent," Pogromov says. — But we think that we have good prospects. It is difficult to calculate the market in this area, but we know about the high motivation of the population for such a procedure." Having reached the turnover planned by the company, SPA-Efference will reduce prices in order to attract even more patients who want to communicate with their microbial consortium in a scientific way and thereby get rid of a number of diseases.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru19.11.2008