kosmos: Alternative medicine

Evidence: 64 • authority: 72

Alternative medicine comprises practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of medicine, but that lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are not part of mainstream evidence-based medicine. Unlike modern medicine, which employs the scientific method to test plausible therapies by way of responsible and ethical clinical trials, producing repeatable evidence of either effect or of no effect, alternative therapies are not products of the scientific method, but instead rely on testimonials, anecdotes, religion, tradition, superstition, belief in supernatural "energies", pseudoscience, errors in reasoning, propaganda,…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 88

Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers to Treat Oral Health Problems in Cameroon. Objectives. The objective of the study was to determine the therapeutic methods used by traditional healers to treat oral diseases in Cameroon. Methods. A total of 200 traditional healers with a mean age of 50.4 ± 14.2 years from all the provinces of Cameroon were studied using questionnaires. Information elicited was the local names of the medicinal plants used for the management of oral problems, their routes of administration, and methods of usage. Identification of live or dried plants or photographs of sample of the plants was done by a taxonomist. Results. The majority of the participants were…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 92

Development and evaluation of a culturally tailored animated educational video to improve antibiotic knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Jordanian adolescents: a quasi-experimental study.. Background antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major global health concern, with antibiotic misuse and overuse being major contributing factors, particularly among adolescents. It has become essential to address this problem through educational interventions to foster responsible behavior during early life. Objective The primary objective of this study was to develop and assess the effectiveness of an educational video on antimicrobial resistance in enhancing knowledge, attitude, and pra…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 92

Perception among adult sickle cell patients on the use of herbal medicine in the management of sickle cell disease in Ghana: a qualitative study.. The primary management of SCD relies on orthodox medicine; however, many adults living with SCD also use herbal medicine as an alternative or complementary approach. Limited research exists on how patients perceive the use of herbal medicine within SCD care. This study explored the perceptions of herbal medicine use among adults living with SCD in Ghana. An exploratory qualitative design was employed, and purposive sampling was used to recruit 13 adults with SCD receiving care at the University of Ghana Medical Centre. In-depth, face-to-face, sem…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 72

The replication crisis, also known as the reproducibility crisis or replicability crisis, is a widespread phenomenon in which published scientific results cannot be reproduced. Because the reproducibility of empirical results is the cornerstone of the scientific method, such failures undermine the credibility of theories and challenge substantial parts of scientific knowledge. Psychology and medicine have been focal points for replication efforts, with researchers systematically reexamining classic studies to verify their reliability and, when failures emerge, to identify the underlying causes. Data strongly indicates that other natural and social sciences are also affected. The phrase "rep…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 80

Evidence-based Practices in Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Evidence: 38 • authority: 88

Safety Concerns of Traditional Chinese Medicine Injections Used in Chinese Children. Objective . To explore risks underlying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) injection-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in Chinese children, and to discuss the implications of postmarketing reevaluation studies. Methods . We identified potential cases of exposure to TCM injections for children (<18 years of age) and adults (18 years and upwards) from database of ADRs. First, the associations between TCM injection-related ADRs and three administration routes (i.e., intravenous or intramuscular administration, oral administration, and external use) and the imbalance of TCM injection-related ADRs between th…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 88

Plants Used as Anticancer Agents in the Ethiopian Traditional Medical Practices: A Systematic Review. Background . This systematic review aimed at examining the use patterns of Ethiopian anticancer traditional medicinal plants (MPs) in view of recommending further validation studies. Methods . The information was retrieved from PubMed according to the PRISMA guideline. The electronic library of Addis Ababa University and relevant church‐based religious books were also inspected for additional data. Results . From 34 studies meeting specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, 119 anticancer MP species distributed in 98 genera and 57 families were recorded. Fabaceae (10.92 %) and Euphorbiaceae (10…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 92

AI-Augmented Teach-Back in Dentistry: From Patient Education to Verified Clinical Understanding.. Oral diseases remain among the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide, yet their prevention and long-term management depend heavily on patient understanding of self-care, maintenance protocols, and procedural risks. Existing educational programs have not solved this problem because most individuals do not understand dental health, and communication with patients remains poor, which results in poor treatment outcomes. The teach-back method functions as an evidence-based communication tool that helps staff members confirm that patients have grasped essential information, but dental practitio…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 72

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from antimicrobials, which are drugs used to treat infections in humans, animals, and plants. Any microbe can develop resistance, including bacteria (antibiotic resistance), viruses (antiviral resistance), parasites (antiparasitic resistance), and fungi (antifungal resistance). Together, these adaptations fall under the AMR umbrella, posing a challenge to all countries and all demographics. Misuse and improper management of antimicrobials are primary drivers of this resistance, though it can also occur naturally through genetic mutations and the spread of resistant genes. Microbes resistant to mult…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 72

Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and related scientific research. Medical ethics is based on a set of values that professionals can refer to in the case of any confusion or conflict. These values include the respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Such tenets may allow doctors, care providers, and families to create a treatment plan and work towards the same common goal. These four values are not ranked in order of importance or relevance and they all encompass values pertaining to medical ethics. However, a conflict may arise leading to the need for hierarchy in an ethical system, such that some moral el…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

African traditional medicine is a range of traditional medicine disciplines involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically including diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Practitioners of traditional African medicine claim to be able to cure a variety of diverse conditions including cancer, psychiatric disorders, high blood pressure, cholera, most venereal diseases, epilepsy, asthma, eczema, fever, anxiety, depression, benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary tract infections, gout, and healing of wounds and burns and Ebola. Diagnosis is reached through spiritual means and a treatment is prescribed, usually consisting of a herbal remedy that is considered to have not only hea…