Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25485246›Full record

ArticleCMAJ open2014

Complementary and alternative medicine: a survey of its use in pediatric cardiology.

Denise Adams, Ashley Whidden, Meeri Honkanen, Simon Dagenais, Tammy Clifford, Lola Baydala, W James King, Sunita Vohra

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in CMAJ open, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Denise AdamsCARE Program, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
Ashley WhiddenDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
Meeri HonkanenDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kanta-Häme Central Hospital, Hämeenlinna, Finland.
Simon DagenaisPalladian Health, West Seneca, NY.
Tammy CliffordDepartment of Pediatrics and Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
Lola BaydalaDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
W James KingDivision of Pediatric Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. ; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont.
Sunita VohraCARE Program, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 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.

methodsA 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.

resultsAt 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.

interpretationUse 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.

Identifiers

PMID25485246
PMCPMC4251504

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.