JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (12) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hepner, D. L. Articles by Tsen, L. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hepner, D. L. Articles by Tsen, L. C. Related Collections Pharmacology Obstetrics

---

OBSTETRIC ANESTHESIA

Herbal Medicine Use in Parturients

Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Address correspondence and reprint requests to David L. Hepner, MD, Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115. Address e-mail to dhepner{at}partners.org

Alternative medicine use has increased dramatically over the last decade. Recently a 22% incidence of herbal medicine use in presurgical patients was reported. Of concern is the potential for these medications to cause adverse drug-herb interactions or other effects such as bleeding complications. We sought to determine the prevalence and pattern of use of herbal remedies in parturients. A one-page questionnaire examining the use of all prescription and nonprescription medications, including herbal remedies, was sent to parturients expected to deliver within 20 wk who had preregistered with the hospital’s admissions office. Sixty-one percent of the parturients responded to the survey, with 7.1% of parturients reporting the use of herbal remedies. Only 14.6% of users considered them to be medications. Parturients in the 41–50 yr age bracket (5.6% of parturients) were the most likely to use herbal remedies (17.1% rate of use in this age group). Many parturients who took herbal remedies (46%) did so on the recommendation of their health care provider.

IMPLICATIONS: Herbal medicine use may be less prevalent in the parturient population, however, some health care providers may be promoting their use during pregnancy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. L. Archer and D. K. Boyle Herb and Supplement Use Among the Retail Population of an Independent, Urban Herb Store J Holist Nurs, March 1, 2008; 26(1): 27 - 35. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K N Woodward The potential impact of the use of homeopathic and herbal remedies on monitoring the safety of prescription products Human and Experimental Toxicology, May 1, 2005; 24(5): 219 - 233. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. L. Neuhouser Dietary Supplement Use by American Women: Challenges in Assessing Patterns of Use, Motives and Costs J. Nutr., June 1, 2003; 133(6): 1992S - 1996. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Heyneman Preoperative Considerations: Which Herbal Products Should Be Discontinued Before Surgery? Crit. Care Nurse, April 1, 2003; 23(2): 116 - 124. [Full Text] [PDF]

Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999