末期腎臟疾病患者的另類療法及護理處置

Utilization of Alternative Therapies by ESRD Patients and Related Nursing Interventions

目前臺灣的醫療雖以西醫療法為主導，但多數的民眾採用複向醫療來處理健康問題。本文以末期腎臟疾病患者為對象，瞭解他們除了接受正統醫療（腎臟移植、血液透析和腹膜透析）外，並採用其他治療方法的原因及種類。此外，並提供護理人員臨床評估重點，以協助其提供病患及家屬正確知識。期望使護理人員能由病人及家屬的觀點，來正向引導他們採用正確的醫療方式，以減少因錯誤的醫療行為延誤就診，甚至危害生命的情形。

The western style of medical care is the major current trend for medical treatment in Taiwan. However, most people prefer to utilize multiple medical therapies to handle their health problems. For patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the western style of treatment includes renal transplantation, hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. Alternative therapy is another choice (option) that can be selected by these patients. The purpose of this article is to explore the reasons and types of alternative therapies selected by these ESRD patients who are also receiving western-style medical treatment. Appropriate nursing assessment and interventions also are discussed. From the viewpoint of patients and their families, nurses can show them the appropriate ways of implementing alternative treatment in addition to regular western medication. The aim of this is to reduce mortality caused by inappropriate use of multiple medical treatments for this group of patients specifically.