Avaaraneeya Adhyaya of Sushruta Sutra Sthana - An explorative study

Sushruta Samhita is an ancient Ayurvedic text deals mainly with surgical knowledge. Sushruta has documented Arishta Vignaana (prognostic knowledge) in the chapters 28 to 33 of Sutra Sthana. Avaaraneeya Adhyaya is the 33rd chapter of Sushruta Sutra Sthana. The term Avaraneeya denotes various untreatable conditions. Avaaraneeya Adhyaya consists of 26 verses that deal with the description of various poor prgnositc conditions or diseases. The contents of Avaaraneeya Adhyaya chapter are unique and require further exploration. No work has been conducted on Avaaraneeya Adhyaya chapter of Sushruta Sutra Sthana till date. The present study is aimed to evaluate the prognostic importance of the contents of Avaaraneeya Adhyaya chapter with the help of contemporary prognostic literature. Various databases have been searched to collect relevant data by using appropriate keywords. Clinical interpretation of the verses have revealed various fatal conditions with poor prognosis such as end of life stages, multiple chronic conditions and signs & symptoms of terminal illnesses. The contents of Avaaraneeya Adhyaya chapter of Sushruta Samhita Sutra Sthana seem to be having clinical and prognostic significance and clinical applicability. The present study provides inputs for future research works on Ayurvedic prognostic science.