【美国儿科医学会】台湾科研分析: 接受传统中药治疗的儿科患者的特征

 

      英文摘要链接: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/6/e1485.abstract

      美国儿科医学会【接受传统中药治疗的儿科患者的特征】: 台湾科研人员利用全民健保数据对台湾地区接受中医治疗的儿科患者进行了分析。结果显示 107 337名参与调查的患儿中，18.3%曾接受传统中药治疗。幼儿过敏反应和呼吸道、消化道和骨骼出现的副作用问题，也与过高的中药使用有关。

Characteristics of Pediatric Traditional Chinese Medicine Users in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cohort Study

1. Hsing-Yu Chen, MD^a,
2. Yi-Hsuan Lin, MD^a,^b,
3. Jau-Ching Wu, MD^c,^d,^e,
4. Yu-Chun Chen, MD, MSc^f,^g,
5. Peck-Foong Thien, MD, MPH^f,^h,
6. Tzeng-Ji Chen, MD^f,
7. Sien-Hung Yang, MD, PhD^a,ⁱ,
8. Jiun-Liang Chen, MD^a,ⁱ,^j, and
9. Su-Shun Lo, MD^c

+ Author Affiliations

1. Drs Hsing-Yu Chen and Yi-Hsuan Lin contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Traditional chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the most commonly used complementary and alternative medicines. However, there is a paucity of epidemiologic reports on features of pediatric TCM users. As TCM services are fully reimbursed by National Health Insurance in Taiwan, this study used a nationwide cohort database to investigate demographics, diseases patterns, and parents' characteristics of pediatric TCM users.

METHODS: Children aged <12 years were extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database for analysis. These pediatric TCM users’ demographics, medical conditions, and reasons for medical services were compared with users of Western medicine by Poisson regression. Children who did not use any medical services were excluded.

RESULTS: Of 107 337 children who were enrolled and followed up in 2005, 19 669 children (18.3%) used TCM. Compared with Western medicine-only users, school-age children (aged 6–12 years), preschool age children (3–5 years), and toddlers (1–2 years) were more likely to use TCM than infants (<1 year; rate ratio = 4.47, 3.66 and 2.59, respectively; P < .001 for all). Parental factors were associated with more TCM use, including female gender, age >35 years, past experience with TCM, and higher income levels. Allergic reactions and respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and musculoskeletal problems were also associated with higher TCM use.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of TCM was correlated with both patient and parental factors, among which children’s age and parental TCM use were the most prominent. Additional studies on the efficacy of TCM are warranted.