Kaiy (traditional cautery) in Benghazi, Libya: complications versus effectiveness

INTRODUCTION: The practice of Kaiy (Cautery) as a traditional therapy is not science based though it is widely practiced worldwide. In Libya, in particular, it is commonly used with no any report or publication to emphasis on its positive or negative impact. This work was undertaken to highlight the complications and disadvantages of kaiy in the Libyan societies as it seems to cause more harm than benefit for the patient. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey in the period from the first of March to the end of April (two months) of the year 2013, on fifty patients who were collected from different hospitals in Benghazi city, and who had experienced Kaiy therapy for different diseases. RESULTS: We found that kaiy application is more common among non educated patients (30 patients, 60%). Most of patients (45 cases, 90%) followed their relatives’ advice and that 32 cases (63.5%) did not improve and show undesirable manifestations and complications. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that Kaiy therapy is associated with considerable health risks; therefore, we recommend discouraging and restricting its application.