title: Complementary and alternative medicine: a survey of its use in pediatric cardiology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of complementary and alternative medicine is high among children and youth with chronic illnesses, including patients with cardiac conditions. Our goal was to assess the prevalence and patterns of such use among patients presenting to academic pediatric cardiology clinics in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey instrument was developed to inquire about current or previous use of complementary and alternative medicine products and practices, including indications, beliefs, sources of information and whether this use was discussed with physicians. Between February and July 2007, the survey was administered to patients (or their parents/guardians) presenting to 2 hospital-based cardiology clinics: the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Ontario.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the Stollery Children's Hospital, 64.1% of the 145 respondents had used complementary and alternative medicine compared with 35.5% of the 31 respondents at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (p = 0.003). Overall, the most common products in current use were multivitamins (70.6%), vitamin C (22.1%), calcium (13.2%), unspecified "cold remedies" (11.8%) and fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids (11.8%). The most common practices in current use were massage (37.5%), faith healing (25.0%), chiropractic (20.0%), aromatherapy (15.0%) and Aboriginal healing (7.5%). Many patients (44.9%) used complementary and alternative medicine products at the same time as conventional prescription drugs. Concurrent use was discussed with physicians or pharmacists by 64.3% and 31.3% of respondents, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of complementary and alternative medicine products and practices was high among patients seen in the pediatric cardiology clinics in our study. Most respondents believed that the use of these products and practices was helpful; few reported harms and many did not discuss this use with their physicians, increasing the potential for interactions with prescribed medications.
authors.affiliation: CARE Program, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whidden
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kanta-Häme Central Hospital, Hämeenlinna, Finland.
authors.forename: Meeri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honkanen
authors.affiliation: Palladian Health, West Seneca, NY.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dagenais
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Lola
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baydala
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. ; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont.
authors.forename: W James
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: CARE Program, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vohra