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Herbal and homeopathic medication use in pediatric surgical patients
Author(s) -
EVERETT LUCINDA L.,
BIRMINGHAM PATRICK K.,
WILLIAMS GLYN D.,
RANDALL BRENN B.,
SHAPIRO JAY H.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pediatric anesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.704
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1460-9592
pISSN - 1155-5645
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9592.2005.01487.x
Subject(s) - medicine , adverse effect , elective surgery , traditional medicine , population , ethnic group , surgery , environmental health , sociology , anthropology
Summary Background : Patients who present for surgery may be using herbal or homeopathic preparations; adverse effects of some of these substances include bleeding, cardiovascular changes, and liver dysfunction. Little information is available on the frequency of use in the pediatric surgical population. Methods : With institutional approval, a survey was conducted to assess the use of vitamins, nutritional supplements, or herbal or homeopathic preparations in children presenting for surgery in five geographically diverse centers in the USA. Results : A total of 894 completed surveys showed that overall, 3.5% of pediatric surgical patients had been given herbal or homeopathic medications in the 2 weeks prior to surgery. Most substances were prescribed by parents. The use of these medications did not differ between children with coexisting diseases and those without; use was also not different among ethnic groups or by residence setting (city, suburban, rural). There was a significant difference between the west coast centers in the study compared with the rest of the country (7.5% of patients in Palo Alto, CA; 5.5% of patients in Seattle, WA; 1.5% of patients in Chicago, IL; and 1.9% in Virginia and Delaware used herbal or homeopathic remedies). The most prevalent substance given to children presenting for elective surgery was Echinacea . Conclusions : Herbal and homeopathic medications are used by a small percentage of pediatric patients presenting for elective pediatric surgery patients. Use of these substances should be addressed in the preoperative history.