Points of Departure
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Children for Acute Respiratory Tract Infection
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sandra Lucas, Dr Anna Phillips
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is increasing globally. One area where CAM is routinely used in children is acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI), where CAM is used in 1 in 2 children. Despite this, there is limited information why parents use CAM in their children, and the factors that influence a parent’s decision to use CAM for the management of ARTI in children. This research aimed to address this knowledge gap. Method Using qualitative descriptive approach, this research, conducted in Greater Melbourne, Australia, recruited parents of children who had used CAM for treating ARTI in their children. Parents’ perspectives were captured using individual semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed verbatim. Several strategies to improve trustworthiness were implemented. Results There were twenty-four parents (all female; age 26-54) interviewed. The finding from this research showed a breadth of different remedies utilised as well as the complex processes underpinning parents’ decision to use CAM. Parents commonly tried to utilise both CAM practitioners and mainstream medicine. While use of mainstream medicine were used to rule out any sinister pathology, CAM was then used as a frontline option, with food as medicine (e.g. soups), due to concerns regarding the negative aspects of pharmaceutical use. Parents utilised a diverse range of sources during their decision-making process including friends, families and internet but not with traditional sources of research evidence. Conclusion Parents’ decision to use CAM for treating ARTI amongst children is influenced by a complex range of factors.
Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis in Prisons of Post-Soviet Countries
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maxwell Droznin
A systematic literature review was performed to investigate the occurrence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) in prisons located in countries formerly part of the Soviet Union. A systematic search of published studies reporting MDR TB occurrence in prisons located in former Soviet countries was conducted by probing PubMed and Cumulative Index Nursing and Allied Health Literature for articles that met predetermined inclusion criteria. Seventeen studies were identified for systematic review. Studies were conducted in six different countries. Overall, prevalence of MDR TB among prisoners varied greatly between studies. Our findings suggest a high prevalence of MDR TB in prisons of Post-Soviet states with percentages as high as 16 times more than the worldwide prevalence estimated by the WHO in 2014. All studies suggested a high prevalence of MDR TB in prison populations in Post-Soviet states.
