News Briefs
News Briefs
One in 4 Hospitals Says It Offers CAM Services
Nearly 27% of surveyed hospitals—up from 18% in 2004—are offering complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) programs to the patients they serve, according to a report released in July by Health Forum, a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association in Chicago. The report is based on nearly 1,400 responses to a survey designed to take a close look at the types of CAM programs and services being offered by U.S. hospitals.
While patient demand is the primary reason for offering CAM services, hospitals also cited clinical effectiveness and the fact that CAM services reflect the hospital's desire to treat "the whole person-body, mind, and spirit," the report says. In addition, offering CAM helps hospitals differentiate themselves, attract new patients, and provide additional services to existing patients.
The top outpatient modalities cited in the report were: massage (71%), tai chi/yoga/qi gong (47%), relaxation (43%), acupuncture (39%), guided imagery (32%), and therapeutic touch (30%). The top inpatient modalities cited were massage (37%), music therapy (27%), therapeutic touch (25%), guided imagery (22%), relaxation (20%), and acupuncture (12%).
Other survey results include:
- The East North Central region of the United States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) continues to lead the nation in number of hospitals that offer CAM programs.
- The majority of CAM services (81%) are paid for out-of-pocket by patients.
- More than 50% of hospitals with CAM programs do not have CAM in the hospital's strategic plan.
- Forty-one percent have a physician directly involved.
Although the number of hospitals reporting CAM programs has increased, some CAM proponents wonder if the hospitals offering these services were more likely to respond to the survey, resulting in higher-than-normal figures.
The biannual survey was mailed in December 2005 to 6,347 U.S. hospitals. The report is available on-line at (click on the Data Products tab in the right upper corner) or by calling (800) 242-2626. Health Forum has also announced that the 5th Annual Integrative Medicine for Healthcare Organizations Conference will be held on April 12-14, 2007, in San Diego, CA.
FDA Warns Against Bismacine for Lyme Disease
FDA is warning consumers and health care providers not to use a product called bismacine, also known as chromacine.
Bismacine is an injectable product that has been used to treat Lyme disease, although bismacine is not FDA-approved. Bismacine, which is not a pharmaceutical, is mixed individually by druggists. It is prescribed or administered by "alternative-health" doctors or by people claiming to be medical doctors.
Bismacine contains high amounts of bismuth, a heavy metal that is used in some medications taken by mouth to treat Helicobacter pylori. On April 20, 2006, one person died as a result of treatment with bismacine, and on March 29, 2005, another person was hospitalized after receiving a bismacine treatment. Other individuals who have used or been administered this product also have suffered serious adverse events.
Possible effects of bismuth poisoning include cardiovascular collapse and kidney failure. FDA is advising consumers and health care providers not to use bismacine. Individuals who believe they have suffered adverse events from receiving bismacine may wish to seek medical attention.
FDA Warns Against Drinking High-Strength Hydrogen Peroxide
FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or to use high-strength hydrogen peroxide products, including one marketed as "35 Percent Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide," for medicinal purposes because the products can cause serious harm or death when ingested. FDA recommends that consumers who are currently using high-strength hydrogen peroxide stop immediately and consult their health care provider.
FDA issued Warning Letters to two firms that illegally are selling "35 percent hydrogen peroxide" products on web sites for the treatment of AIDS, cancers, emphysema, and other serious and life-threatening diseases.
FDA never has approved high-strength hydrogen peroxide to be taken internally and considers hydrogen peroxide at 35% strength dangerous, even if handled according to the manufacturer's directions. This high-strength hydrogen peroxide—more than 10 times stronger than the solution used in over-the-counter products to disinfect minor cuts—is highly corrosive. Ingesting hydrogen peroxide can cause gastrointestinal irritation or ulceration. Intravenous administration of hydrogen peroxide can cause inflammation of the blood vessel at the injection site, gas embolisms, and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
FDA previously warned consumers, in an April 1989 press release, about the illegal promotion of industrial-strength hydrogen peroxide to treat AIDS and cancer, following at least one related death in Texas and several injuries requiring hospitalization.
National Survey Shows Lower Blood Pressure in Religious Service Attendees
People who attend religious services at least once a week had lower blood pressures and a lower prevalence of high blood pressure compared to people who never attend the services, according to a national survey.
To test the hypothesis that frequency of attendance at religious services is inversely related to prevalence of hypertension and blood pressure level, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The survey is designed to obtain nationally representative information on the health and nutritional status of the population of the United States through interviews and direct physical examinations.
In the data, 14,475 American women and men 20 years and older reported frequency of attendance at religious services, history of hypertension treatment, and had blood pressure measured. Through the analysis, the CDC researchers found that 39% of the people surveyed reported attending religious services one or more times a week. After controlling for sociodemographic and health variables, the researchers associated these attenders with reduced prevalence of hypertension compared with non-attenders. The researchers did not observe a significant effect modification by gender or age.
According to the results, published in the May/June 2006 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, persons attending religious services weekly had a systolic blood pressure 1.46 mm Hg lower than non-attenders, and persons attending more than weekly had systolic blood pressure 3.03 mm Hg lower than non-attenders.
Nearly 27% of surveyed hospitals—up from 18% in 2004—are offering complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) programs to the patients they serve.Subscribe Now for Access
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