Background: Bloodletting is practiced in Ethiopia. Physicians in Israel engaging in transcultural encounters with Ethiopian immigrants are generally unaware of these ethno-medical beliefs and practices. Objective: To assess the past and present use of bloodletting among Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. Methods: We interviewed a sample of 50 adult patients of Ethiopian origin about present and past use of bloodletting. A second consecutive sample of 10 adult patients of Ethiopian origin who often asked their doctors to perform blood tests were identified and interviewed. Data analysis was performed by "immersion-crystallization" analysis. Results: More than half of the interviewed patients reported the use of bloodletting. Scars were commonly present on their upper extremities. A qualitative analysis identified the different reasons for the use of bloodletting, the technique used and its appreciated efficacy. We also found an unexpected cultural synergy between traditional bloodletting and western medical blood sampling. Conclusions: Some Ethiopian immigrants continue to perform traditional bloodletting in their new country of residency, a practice that local physicians may not be aware of. Bloodletting-type scars on the upper extremities may be common in these patients. Patients may ask for blood sampling as a culturally accepted way to perform bloodletting (synergy).

Transcultural medicine Bloodletting Synergy Blood sampling

blood sampling cultural anthropology immigrant patient monitoring Israel sampling developing country human ethnic and racial groups interview Humans technique traditional medicine Medicine, Traditional outcomes research qualitative analysis clinical article scar population research Data reduction phlebotomy Blood Specimen Collection Bloodletting Article blood Ethiopia adult blood analysis physician developed country data analysis Emigration and Immigration patient selection immigrants