Newton Jonathan R, Santangeli Louise, Shakeel Muhammad, Ram Bhaskar
Department of Rhinology, Royal Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2009 Jan-Feb;23(1):59-63. doi: 10.2500/ajra.2009.23.3264.
There are 50,000 practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the United Kingdom. The current U.K. prevalence of CAM use is reported to be 25% and is rising. The national expenditure on CAM is an estimated pound1.6 billion. The aim of this study was to explore the pattern of CAM use in patients attending a rhinology outpatient clinic in Aberdeen.
Questionnaires were provided to 100 patients over a 2-month period. The questionnaire consisted of demographic sections and whether they had ever used CAM from a list of 49 herbal and nonherbal alternative therapies. Subjects were also asked why they used CAM, where they learned of CAM, whether they found it efficacious, and whether their general practitioner was aware they were using it.
One hundred subjects completed questionnaires. Patients attending the clinic were suffering from the most common rhinological complaints including rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps. Sixty-five percent of patients had ever used CAM. Women were statistically significantly more likely to use CAM than men (p = 0.012). Patients who were employed were more likely to use CAM, but there was no significant difference in CAM usage depending on marital status, social class, and age. Only 6% of patients felt CAM use was definitely ineffective. Only 43% of users of CAM had informed their doctor about its use.
CAM usage is growing in popularity. All health care professionals should be aware of this and of the potential for adverse drug reactions occurring. The dangers of noncompliance with conventional medications should be emphasized to CAM users.
在英国,有50000名 complementary and alternative medicine(补充和替代医学)从业者。据报道,目前英国补充和替代医学的使用率为25%,且呈上升趋势。补充和替代医学的国家支出估计为16亿英镑。本研究的目的是探讨阿伯丁一家鼻科门诊患者使用补充和替代医学的模式。
在两个月的时间里,向100名患者发放了问卷。问卷包括人口统计学部分,以及他们是否曾使用过49种草药和非草药替代疗法清单中的补充和替代医学。还询问了受试者使用补充和替代医学的原因、他们从何处了解到补充和替代医学、他们是否认为其有效,以及他们的全科医生是否知道他们在使用补充和替代医学。
100名受试者完成了问卷。到该门诊就诊的患者患有最常见的鼻科疾病,包括鼻窦炎和鼻息肉。65%的患者曾使用过补充和替代医学。女性使用补充和替代医学的可能性在统计学上显著高于男性(p = 0.012)。就业患者更有可能使用补充和替代医学,但根据婚姻状况、社会阶层和年龄,补充和替代医学的使用情况没有显著差异。只有6%的患者认为使用补充和替代医学肯定无效。只有43%的补充和替代医学使用者告知了医生他们在使用。
补充和替代医学的使用越来越普遍。所有医疗保健专业人员都应意识到这一点以及发生药物不良反应的可能性。应向补充和替代医学使用者强调不遵守传统药物治疗的危险。