Results of a national survey on knowledge and use of complementary and alternative medicine by paediatricians.

INTRODUCTION: The use of certain Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) in children has been documented in Spain. The main aim of this study is to estimate the knowledge, recommendations, and use of CAM by Spanish paediatricians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A national study was conducted from June to July 2020 using an online questionnaire. Two e-mails were sent to paediatricians who were members of the Spanish Association of Paediatrics (AEP). RESULTS: Out of 1414 responses received, acupuncture was considered as a science by 31.8%. Homeopathy was recommended to parents by 28.1%. CAM was used by 21.3% of physicians, at least once, to improve their own health. Only 3.8% had ever replaced a conventional treatment with CAM. The following variables were associated with a greater disposition to prescribe homeopathy: female, age over 45 years old, paediatricians working in Primary Care, and paediatricians working in private healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: This AEP Committee on Medicines questionnaire provides new data that should be considered alarming and should ask for a serious thinking on the use of CAM in Spain. Some paediatricians are recommending parents to give treatments not supported by scientific evidence to their children. This practice could be potentially harmful, especially when conventional treatment is being replaced.

[Results of a national survey on knowledge and use of complementary and alternative medicine by paediatricians]. / Resultados de una encuesta nacional sobre conocimiento y uso de pseudociencias por parte de los pediatras.

INTRODUCTION: The use of certain Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) in children has been documented in Spain. The main aim of this study is to estimate the knowledge, recommendations, and use of CAM by Spanish paediatricians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A national study was conducted from June to July 2020 using an online questionnaire. Two e-mails were sent to paediatricians who were members of the Spanish Association of Paediatrics (AEP). RESULTS: Out of 1,414 responses received, acupuncture was considered as a science by 31.8%. Homeopathy was recommended to parents by 28.1%. CAM was used by 21.3% of physicians, at least once, to improve their own health. Only 3.8% had ever replaced a conventional treatment with CAM. The following variables were associated with a greater disposition to prescribe homeopathy: female, age over 45 years old, paediatricians working in Primary Care, and paediatricians working in private healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: This AEP Committee on Medicines questionnaire provides new data that should be considered alarming and should ask for a serious thinking on the use of CAM in Spain. Some paediatricians are recommending parents to give treatments not supported by scientific evidence to their children. This practice could be potentially harmful, especially when conventional treatment is being replaced.

Notificación de sospecha de reaccionesadversas a medicamentos mediantela tarjeta amarilla / Reporting of suspected adverse reactions to drugs by means of the yellow card

Las Reacciones Adversas a Medicamentos (RAM) constituyen un problema de saludpública en nuestra sociedad. Se estima que en los países occidentales el 5,3%de los ingresos hospitalarios están asociados a RAM, el 6,7% de los pacienteshospitalizados sufre una RAM grave y que este problema supone el 5-9% del costeintrahospitalario. A pesar de que la notificación espontánea de sospecha deRAM a través de la “tarjeta amarilla” es el método más eficiente para la detecciónde reacciones adversas nuevas y/o serias a medicamentos, se estima que sólose notifican alrededor del 10%. La legislación española obliga a todos los profesionalessanitarios a notificar las sospechas de reacciones adversas a los medicamentosautorizados. Sin embargo, durante 2006, los enfermeros sólo aportaronel 3% de todas las Tarjetas Amarillas al Sistema Español de Farmacovigilancia. Lainfranotificación de RAM en los profesionales de Enfermería es un fenómeno pendientede estudio (AU)

Adverse reactions to drugs (ARD) are a public health problem in our society. It isestimated that in western countries, 5,3% of hospital admissions are associatedwith ARD, 6,7% of hospitalised patients suffer from severe ARD and that this problemaccounts for 5-9% of intrahospital cost. Despite the fact that spontaneousreporting of suspected ARD via the “Yellow Card” is the most efficient method forthe detection of new and/or severe adverse reactions to drugs, it is estimated thatonly about 10% are reported. Spanish legislation stipulates that all health care professionalsare mandatory reporters of suspected adverse reactions to authoriseddrugs. However, in 2006, nurses contributed only 3% of all Yellow Cards to theSpanish System of Drug Surveillance. The underreporting of ARD on the part ofnursing professionals is a phenomenon pending future study (AU)