Evaluating the Knowledge and Practice of Anesthesiologists and Students About Oral Ginger Complications in Surgery and Anesthesia

Aims: Ginger of the Zingiberaceae family is abundant in individuals’ diets globally. It has well-known properties, including regulating the immune system, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, inhibiting hyperlipidemia, anti-nausea, and antioxidant features. Despite these properties, research suggested its increased bleeding and anticoagulation effects. Thus, the excessive use of this drug can adversely impact anesthesia and surgery. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and practice of anesthesia staff and students about the complications of ginger in surgery and anesthesia. Methods & Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study examined the level of knowledge and practice of 68 anesthesiologists and students of Allameh Bohlol Gonabadi Hospital about the effects of oral ginger in surgery and anesthesia by a two-part researcher-made questionnaire (to determine knowledge and the performance of individuals). The validity of the instrument was determined based on content and face validity methods and the reliability of the instrument was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.078). Data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 19. Findings: The Mean±SD age of the research units were 23.42±11.6 years, with a work experience of 1 to 22 years. In total, 66.7% of the research units were female, 70.5% were married, and most (97.4%) them had a bachelor’s degree. The obtained results suggested that 83.3% of the research units had poor knowledge; concerning performance, 78.2% of the study subjects had poor performance in the preoperative examination of the patient. The level of knowledge of research units was significantly related to education (P=0.033). Furthermore, the examined individuals’ performance was significantly related to their work experience (P=0.029). Conclusion: The present study findings indicated that anesthesiologists were unaware of the beneficial and adverse effects of ginger on anesthesia and surgery of patients and failed to well assess the patient respecting ginger overdose and diet. Therefore, considering the importance of herbal medicines and their effects on the surgical process and treatment of patients, it is suggested to provide training workshops and informing the staff.