Complementary and alternative medicine use among paediatric emergency department patients.

AIM: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.