Implementation of a Leeches + Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Order Panel to Optimize Medicinal Leech Use at a Tertiary Care Academic Medical Center.

Medicinal leech therapy promotes vascular flow and can be used to salvage grafts. Medicinal leeches have a symbiotic relationship with species and can therefore present a risk of bacterial transmission to patients. Antimicrobial prophylaxis is warranted for the duration of leech therapy, however, an institutional evaluation of 40 patients receiving medicinal leech therapy demonstrated poor adherence with recommendations.