Use and toxicity of traditional and complementary medicine among patients seeking care at an emergency department of a teaching hospital in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional and Complementary Medicines (TCM) are widely used worldwide, and many of them have the potential to cause toxicity, interaction with conventional medications and non-adherence to prescribed medications due to patients' preference for the TCM use. However, information regarding their use among patients seeking care at emergency departments (ED) of a healthcare facility is limited. The study aimed to evaluate the TCM use among patients attending the ED of a teaching hospital in Malaysia. STUDY DESIGN: A sub-analysis of data from a prevalence study of medication-related visits among patients at the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia was conducted. The study took place over a period of six weeks from December 2014 to January 2015 involving 434 eligible patients. Data on demography, conventional medication, and TCM uses were collected from patient interview and the medical folders. RESULTS: Among this cohort, 66 patients (15.2%, 95%CI 12.0, 19.0) reported concurrent TCM use. Sixteen (24.2%) of the TCM users were using more than one (1) type of TCM, and 17 (25.8%) came to the ED for medication-related reasons. Traditional Malay Medicine (TMM) was the most frequently used TCM by the patients. Five patients (7.6%) sought treatment at the ED for medical problems related to use of TCM. CONCLUSION: Patients seeking medical care at the ED may be currently using TCM. ED-physicians should be aware of these therapies and should always ask patients about the TCM use.

Use and toxicity of complementary and alternative medicines among patients visiting emergency department: Systematic review.

Many studies have been conducted in health-care settings with regards to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among patients. However, information regarding CAM use among patients in the emergency department (ED) is scarce. The aim of this article was to conduct a systematic review of published studies with regards to CAM use among the ED patients. A literature search of published studies from inception to September 2015 was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and manual search of the reference list. 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The prevalence rate of CAM use among ED patients across the studies ranged of 1.4-68.1%. Herbal therapy was the sub-modality of CAM most commonly used and frequently implicated in CAM-related ED visits. Higher education, age, female gender, religious affiliation, and chronic diseases were the most frequent factors associated with CAM use among the ED patients. Over 80% of the ED physicians did not ask the patients about the CAM therapy. Similarly, 80% of the ED patients were ready to disclose CAM therapy to the ED physician. The prevalence rate of CAM use among patients at ED is high and is growing with the current increasing popularity, and it has been a reason for some of the ED visits. There is a need for the health-care professionals to receive training and always ask patients about CAM therapy to enable them provide appropriate medical care and prevent CAM-related adverse events.

Prevalence of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits at a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Data on the prevalence of adverse drug event (ADE)-related emergency department (ED) visits in developing countries are limited. Malaysia is located in South-East Asia, and, to our knowledge, no information exists on ADE-related ED visits. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, preventability, severity, and outcome of drug-related ED visits. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted in consenting patients who visited the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia over a 6-week period. The ED physician on duty determined whether or not the visit was drug related according to set criteria. Other relevant information was extracted from the patient's medical folder by a clinical pharmacist. RESULTS: Of the 434 consenting patients, 133 (30.6 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 26-35 %) visits were determined to be ADE related; 55.5 % were considered preventable, 11.3 % possibly preventable, and 33.1 % not preventable. Severity was classed as mild in 1.5 %, moderate in 67.7 %, and severe in 30.8 %. The most common ADEs reported were drug therapeutic failure (55.6 %) and adverse drug reactions (32.3 %). The most frequently implicated drugs were antidiabetics (n = 31; 23.3 %), antihypertensives (n = 28; 21.1 %), antibiotics (n = 13; 9.8 %), and anti-asthmatics (n = 11; 8.3 %). A total of 93 patients (69.9 %) were admitted to the ED for observation, 25 (18.8 %) were discharged immediately after consultation, and 15 (11.3 %) were admitted to the ward through the ED. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ADE-related ED visits was high; more than one-half of the events were considered preventable and one-third was classed as severe. As such, preventive measures will minimize future occurrences and increase patient safety.

Health major incident : the experiences of mobile medical team during major flood.

Disaster is a sudden event that associated with ecological changes, disruption of normal daily activities, destruction of infrastructures, loss of properties, and medical disabilities. In disaster, there is a mismatch between available resources and patients need for healthcare service. During flood disaster, the victims were predisposed to different type of illnesses for various reasons such as inadequate supply of clean water, poor sanitation or drainage system, unhealthy foods, and over-crowded relief centers. Mobile clinic is an option for delivering medical care for the disaster victims who often have a difficulty to access to the medical facilities. In this article we would like to share our experiences during the provision of humanitarian services for flood victims at District of Muar Johor. Common illnesses among the flood victims at visited relief centers and advantages of Mobile Medical Relief Team were also highlighted and discussed.

Hand grenade blast injuries: an experience in hospital universiti sains malaysia.

Hand grenade explosion is a rare occasion in our local community. Most of us have seen or heard about the injuries only from the TV news or newspaper. We report two cases of bomb blast injury that occurred in an army camp in September 2000. These case studies illustrate the clinical presentations of hand grenade blast injures that present with multiple organ involvement. We would like to share our experience in managing such cases in a busy emergency department and highlight the outcome of those two cases. Certain issues pertaining to the complexity of the injuries and mass casualty management are also highlighted.