Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34803412›Full record

ArticleRisk management and healthcare policy2021

A Preliminary Report on Herbal Medicine Use Among Patients Hospitalized at Two-Large COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Uganda.

Phillip Musoke, Jerom Okot, Vivien Nanfuka, Pius Rwamafa, Joseph Masajjage, Ivan Kisuule, Brandy Nantaayi, Nelson Ssewante, Felix Bongomin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Risk management and healthcare policy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Phillip MusokeSchool of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0003-3884-5255
Jerom OkotDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0002-4160-6418
Vivien NanfukaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kiruddu National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
Pius RwamafaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
Joseph MasajjageDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kiruddu National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
Ivan KisuuleDepartment of Internal Medicine, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
Brandy NantaayiSchool of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0002-1585-0329
Nelson SsewanteSchool of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0002-6753-6622
Felix BongominSchool of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID 0000-0003-4515-8517

Funding

Health Professions Education and training for strengthening the health system and services in UgandaR25TW011213 · FIC · MAKERERE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES · PI KIGULI, SARAH · 2018 to 2022
$3.4M
FIC NIH HHS R25 TW011213
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionHerbal medication use among patients with COVID-19 imposes a significant risk of drug-herbal interactions and adverse events. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 attending two large COVID-19 Treatment Units (CTU) in Uganda.

methodsA hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted recruiting patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at the Mulago National Referral Hospital and Namboole Stadium CTUs. Chi-square or Fishers' exact test for categorical and Mann-Whitney

resultsThe study was terminated early because of significant reduction in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and the closure of Namboole CTU. Of the anticipated 422 participants, we recruited 108 (25.6%). Of this, 58 (53.7%) were female, with a median age of 38 (range: 20-75) years. Forty-nine (45.4%) had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fifty-eight (57.3%) of the participants had ever used herbal medicine and the majority had used them in the past 12 months (71.9%, n = 41) either before the diagnosis of COVID-19 (85.4%, n = 35) or after (36.6%, n = 15). Being vaccinated for COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-6.8, p = 0.005) and having attained tertiary level of education (aOR: 6.2, 95% CI: 1.7-23.1, p = 0.006), as well as the accessibility to herbalists (aOR: 31.2, 95% CI: 3.7-263.2, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with herbal medication use. The majority of participants reported some improvement after using herbal medicine (80.7%, n = 46) and their doctors or nurses asked almost half of the participants about herbal medicine use (49.5%, n = 53).

conclusionThe use of herbal medicines to treat or prevent COVID-19 among hospitalized patients is a widespread practice in Uganda amidst unpublished evidence of their safety and efficacy.

Indexed as

COVID-19herbal medicine useprevalenceUganda

Identifiers

PMID34803412
PMCPMC8594886

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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.