Do the natural and herbal remedies used for fighting against COVID-19 pose a risk for surgical patients?

Introduction

To determine what natural and herbal remedies were used in the fight against COVID-19 and analyze the potential of these products to create a risk for surgical patients.

Methods

The study was conducted with a descriptive and cross-sectional research design. The data were collected between September and October 2021. In the study, convenience sampling, which is a non-probability sampling method, was used. An online questionnaire was applied to the participants on social media platforms. In the data collection process, 1 488 individuals were reached.

Results

The most frequently used herbal remedies by the participants were garlic (62.8%), ginger (53.4%), linden (42.3%), turmeric (37.9%), and oregano (35.6%). The most frequently used natural remedies were lemon (65.4%), honey (53.8%), yogurt (47.2%), traditional soups (33.5%), and vinegar (33.1%). The most frequently used supplements of vitamins were vitamin D (42.4%) vitamin C (41.1%), vitamin B12 (22.4%), vitamin E (8.7%), and fish oil/Omega-3 fatty acids (7.5%). Among the participants who reported that they used natural and herbal remedies (n = 710), only 6.9% were determined to have undergone a surgery in this period. Furthermore, 89.8% of these individuals who presented to the hospital for a surgery had not been asked whether they used natural or herbal remedies by healthcare professionals.

Conclusion

The intake of garlic and vitamin E supplements according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the intake of garlic, ginger, turmeric/curcumin, and vitamin E supplements according to the Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement Consensus Statement should be stopped before a surgery.