Herbal medicines and perioperative care
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Commonly used herbal medications like echinacea and ginkgo can negatively impact patient care during surgery. Physicians must screen for herbal use to prevent serious perioperative complications.
Area Of Science
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
- Integrative Medicine
Background
- Widespread use of herbal medications is prevalent in the presurgical population.
- Herbal product use may negatively impact perioperative patient care and outcomes.
Purpose Of The Study
- To review literature on commonly used herbal medications.
- To provide strategies for managing preoperative herbal medication use.
Main Methods
- Searched MEDLINE and Cochrane databases (1966-2000).
- Included studies on 8 common herbal medications with available perioperative safety data.
- Extracted safety, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic information.
Main Results
- Echinacea, ephedra, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, kava, St John's wort, and valerian pose perioperative risks.
- Potential complications include bleeding, cardiovascular instability, hypoglycemia, and enhanced anesthetic sedation.
- St John's wort can increase drug metabolism.
Conclusions
- Physicians must actively inquire about and document herbal medication use preoperatively.
- Understanding potential herb-drug interactions is crucial for patient safety.
- Proactive management prevents and treats perioperative complications from herbal products.
View abstract on PubMed