Conditions frequently self-treated with herbal remedies by patients visiting a tertiary hospital in Gauteng, South Africa

dc.contributor.authorMarais, Andre
dc.contributor.authorSteenkamp, Vanessa
dc.contributor.authorDu Plooy, Wim J.
dc.contributor.emailandre.marais@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-12-12T06:50:28Z
dc.date.available2018-12-12T06:50:28Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND : Herbal medications are used worldwide for a variety of diseases and conditions. Patients often elect not to disclose their herbal use history, or health care practitioners fail to enquire about specific alternative therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the conditions most frequently self-treated with herbal remedies by patients visiting a tertiary hospital in Garankuwa, South Africa. METHODS : Patients attending an out-patient’s clinic at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital were given a questionnaire regarding their use of herbal remedies for various reasons. Assessment was done on past, current, and possible future use of herbal interventions. These interventions were categorised into acute medical conditions, chronic ailments, and cultural uses. RESULTS : Respiratory tract infections were most frequently treated (34%). Other highly ranked uses included protection from evil spirits (32%) and for HIV/AIDS (29%). Digestive ailments (27%), hypertension (18%), and general malaise (17%) accounted forthe remainder. Previous herbal use amounted to 74%, but only 30% indicated that they would use herbal medication in future. CONCLUSIONS : Traditional medication plays an important role in many communities in South Africa. For this reason health care workers need to be aware of the conditions most frequently self-treated with herbal remedies. Having knowledge about the incidence of herbal treatment for a specific condition could alert the health care practitioner to possible reasons for unidentifiable drug interactions, adverse events, treatment failure, or even death.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentPharmacologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2018en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.pntonline.co.za/index.php/PNTen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMarais, A., Steenkamp, V. & Du Plooy, W.J. 2017, 'Conditions frequently self-treated with herbal remedies by patients visiting a tertiary hospital in Gauteng, South Africa', Professional Nursing Today, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 36-40.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1607-6672 (online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/68088
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherMedpharm Publicationsen_ZA
dc.rights© Medpharm. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 South Africa License.en_ZA
dc.subjectChronic conditionsen_ZA
dc.subjectHerbal remediesen_ZA
dc.subjectOut-patientsen_ZA
dc.subjectTraditional medicineen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa (SA)en_ZA
dc.titleConditions frequently self-treated with herbal remedies by patients visiting a tertiary hospital in Gauteng, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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