title: Complementary and alternative medicine use among paediatric emergency department patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the period prevalence and nature of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among paediatric emergency department (ED) patients and the perceptions of CAM among the CAM administrators.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was undertaken in four Victorian EDs (January to September 2013). A convenience sample of parents/carers accompanying paediatric patients completed a self-administered questionnaire. The main outcome measures were CAM use and perceptions of CAM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parents/carers of 883 patients participated. Three hundred eighty-eight (43.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 40.6-47.3) and 53 (6.0%, 95% CI 4.6-7.8) patients had taken a CAM within the previous 12 months and on the day of presentation, respectively. There were no gender differences between CAM users and non-users (P = 0.83). The use of CAM was significantly more common among older patients (P < 0.001), those with European ethnicity (P = 0.046) and among those with chronic disease (P < 0.01). Fish oil, garlic, chamomile and acidophilus were the most commonly used CAM. Only 4.4% of CAM use was reported to the ED doctor. There were reports of potentially dangerous CAM use (St John's wort, ginseng). Parents/carers who had administered CAM were more likely to report that CAMs are safe, drug free and could prevent illness (P < 0.01). In addition, a number of this group reported that CAMs are more effective than prescription medicines and safe when taken with prescription medicines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAM use is common among paediatric ED patients although rarely reported to the ED doctor. Parents/carers who administer CAM have differing perceptions of CAM safety from those who do not.
authors: Emergency Department, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: David McDonald
authors: DM
authors: Taylor
authors: Emergency Department, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Reetika
authors: R
authors: Dhir
authors: Emergency Department, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Simon S
authors: SS
authors: Craig
authors: Emergency Department, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Thalia
authors: T
authors: Lammers
authors: Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Kaya
authors: K
authors: Gardiner
authors: Emergency Department, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Kirrily
authors: K
authors: Hunter
authors: Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Joffe
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Emergency Department, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: David
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7173-6993
authors: D
authors: Krieser
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Franz E
authors: FE
authors: Babl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: alternative medicine; child; complementary medicine; emergency department