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The Current Status of Complementary-Alternative Medicine for Asthmatics in Korea : Experience in One Tertiary Care Hospital  

Hwang, Bo Young (Division of Pulmonology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine)
Park, Mi Na (Division of Pulmonology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine)
Choi, Hye Sook (Division of Pulmonology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine)
Choi, Cheon Woong (Division of Pulmonology, East-West Neomedical Center)
Yoo, Ji Hong (Division of Pulmonology, East-West Neomedical Center)
Kang, Hong Mo (Division of Pulmonology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine)
Park, Myung Jae (Division of Pulmonology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine)
Publication Information
Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases / v.61, no.4, 2006 , pp. 339-346 More about this Journal
Abstract
Background: There has no known epidemiologic survey on the frequency of complementary-alternative medicine (CAM) use in the treatment of adult asthma in Korea. This study examined the current use of CAM by asthma patients in Korea. Methods: One hundred adults with asthma, who had been admitted to Kyunghee university hospital between January 2000 and December 2003, were enrolled in this survey. They received a structured questionnaire interview and a clinical assessment of prevalence and pattern of CAM use. Results: 53% patients had an experience of at least one type of CAM during their asthma management. Users of CAM had more hospital visits than those who had never used CAM($1.46{\pm}0.68$ vs. $2.11{\pm}1.20$, p=0.001). Those in their $50^{th}$ decades had more experience of CAM (80%) than the other age groups. The methods of CAM used by our patients are as follows: Diet/nutritional therapy in 35 patients(69%), herbal therapy in 28 patients(53%), acupuncture in 9 patients(17%), moxa treatment in 6 patients(11%), breathing exercises in 1 patient(2%). Conclusions: More than 50% of patients with bronchial asthma have used CAM. A more detailed and large scaled study will be needed to define the actual status of the use of CAM in the treatment for asthma. Inaddition, further research on the scientific validation of the clinical efficacy of CAM in asthma management should be followed.
Keywords
Asthma; Complementary-alternative medicine; Epidemiology;
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