Table 2.
Clinical experience of using TCM to treat terminal patients with specific symptoms among palliative care professionals (n = 251).
| Use of TCM to treat terminal patients with specific symptoms (or with certain conditions) | Always n (%) | Often n (%) | Sometimes n (%) | Never n (%) | p valueb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 0.001 | |||||
| Medicated oil extracted from Goldenrod or Centella asiatica (for soreness or abdominal distension) | 93 (37.1) | 94 (37.5) | 43 (17.1) | 21 (8.4) | |
| Acupressure | 36 (14.3) | 87 (34.7) | 99 (39.4) | 29 (11.6) | |
| TENS | 32 (12.7) | 84 (33.5) | 100 (39.8) | 35 (13.9) | |
| Liquorice extract juice (for dry mouth) | 25 (10.0) | 54 (21.5) | 78 (31.1) | 94 (37.5) | |
| Zih Yun Gao (for wound care) | 20 (8.0) | 61 (24.3) | 104 (41.4) | 66 (26.3) | |
| Skin scraping or patting | 9 (3.6) | 18 (7.2) | 90 (35.9) | 134 (53.4) | |
| Traditional Chinese herbal medicinea | 7 (2.8) | 23 (9.2) | 92 (36.7) | 128 (51.0) | |
| Natural indigo powder (for oral ulcer)a | 0 (0) | 4 (1.6) | 28 (11.2) | 218 (86.9) |
TCM, traditional Chinese medicine; TENS, Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
a
Unknown and unclear answers were excluded.
b
Statistical analyses with Fisher's exact test.