Annals of internal medicine
-
Review Practice Guideline Guideline
Clinical ecology. American College of Physicians.
Clinical ecologists propose the existence of a unique illness in which multiple environmental chemicals, foods, drugs, and endogenous C. albicans have a toxic effect on the immune system, thereby adversely affecting other bodily functions. The proposal uses some concepts that superficially resemble those that apply to clinical allergy and toxicology and others that are novel. Review of the clinical ecology literature provides inadequate support for the beliefs and practices of clinical ecology. ⋯ Enumeration of lymphocyte subsets and quantitation of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels in patients with "environmental illness" have not yielded clear-cut evidence of immunologic abnormality. Clinical ecologists use a treatment program that includes avoidance of environmental chemicals, rotation of foods in the diet, and neutralization of symptoms with injected or sublingual extracts. Except for small-dose oral nystatin, which is used for treatment of patients with the candida hypersensitivity syndrome, drug therapy is intentionally avoided, although some clinical ecologists recommend mineral salts, oxygen, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for relief of symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)