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Objectives: Acupuncture is increasingly used in patients with allergic asthma, but there is a lack of evidence on the cost-benefit relationship of this treatment. The aim of this study was to assess economic aspects of additional acupuncture treatment in patients with allergic bronchial asthma compared to patients receiving routine care alone. Design, subjects, intervention, outcome measures: In a randomized controlled trial, patients with allergic bronchial asthma were either allocated to a group receiving acupuncture immediately or a waiting-list control group. Both groups were free to use routine care treatment. The resource consumption, costs, and health-related quality of life were evaluated at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months by using statutory health insurance information and standardized questionnaires. Main economic outcome parameters were direct and indirect cost differences during the study period and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of acupuncture treatment. Results: Three hundred and six (306) patients (159 acupuncture; 147 controls) were included (mean age 46.5±13.11 years, female 57.2%) and were comparable at baseline. Acupuncture treatment was associated with significantly higher costs compared to control patients (overall costs: €860.76 [95% confidence interval (CI) 705.04-1016.47] versus €518.80 [95% CI 356.66-680.93]; p=0.003; asthma-related costs: €517.52 [95% CI 485.63-549.40] versus €144.87 [95% CI 111.70-178.05]; p<0.001). These additional costs seem essentially driven by acupuncture costs themselves (€378.40 [95% CI 367.10-389.69]). However, acupuncture was associated with superior effectiveness in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Resulting ICER lay between €23,231 (overall) and €25,315 (diagnosis-specific) per additional QALY. When using German acupuncture prices of year 2012, the ICER would improve to €12.810 (overall) versus €14,911 (diagnosis-specific) per QALY gained. Conclusions: Treating patients who have allergic bronchial asthma with acupuncture in addition to routine care resulted in additional costs and better effects in terms of patients' quality of life. Acupuncture therefore seems to be a useful and cost-effective add-on treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was done to analyze the frequency of use of acupuncture and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods during labor and to investigate the different characteristics of women being treated with or without acupuncture and CAM methods, as well as try to analyze birth-related outcome measures. Study design: Data were analyzed from 409,413 deliveries, registered between 2001 and 2008 by the agency for quality assurance in Hesse (the Hessian Perinatal Registry [HEPE] survey), which made up more than 95% of all deliveries in this German state during the given time period. Results: Interest in the use of CAM seems to have decreased within the given time period. On average, acupuncture was used in 3.7% (15,345/409,295) of all deliveries and other CAM methods in 4.8% (19,507/409,295). The most important determinant for the use of one or both methods was the type of hospital. It was also found that German women with higher job qualifications were more likely to receive CAM treatment during delivery. Interestingly, application of CAM methods was associated with a higher use of analgesics during labor. The risk status of the pregnancy or the delivery was of minor importance. Conclusions: This analysis shows that the determinants of CAM use are similar to those in the field of oncology. In order to assess the efficacy of acupuncture or other CAM methods in the field of obstetrics, it seems necessary to extend the HEPE survey to cover these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and methods: The crucial symptom of atopic eczema is itch. Acupuncture has been shown to exhibit a significant effect on experimental itch; however, studies focusing on clinical itch in atopic eczema and corresponding mechanisms are lacking. The study design was a unicenter, single-blinded (observer), prospective, randomized clinical pilot trial with an additional experimental part. In 10 patients with atopic eczema, we investigated the effect of acupuncture treatment ( n = 5) compared to no treatment ( n = 5) on itch intensity and in vitro basophil CD63 expression upon allergen stimulation (house dust mite and timothy grass pollen) in a pilot trial. Results: Mean itch intensity in a visual analog scale was rated significantly lower in the acupuncture group (−25% ± 26% [day 15-day 0]; −24% ± 31% [day 33-day 0]) than in the control group (15% ± 6% [day 15-day 0]; 29% ± 9% [day 33-day 0]). From day 0 (before treatment) to day 15 (after 5 acupuncture treatments) as well as day 33 (after 10 acupuncture treatments), the acupuncture group showed less CD63 positive basophils than the control group regarding stimulation with house dust mite and grass pollen allergen at various concentrations (5 ng/mL, 1 ng/mL, 0.5 ng/mL, or 0.25 ng/mL). Conclusions: Our results show a reduction of itch intensity and of in vitro allergen-induced basophil activation in patients with atopic eczema after acupuncture treatment. Reducing basophil activation can be a further tool in investigating the mechanisms of action of acupuncture in immunoglobulin E-mediated allergy. Due to the limited number of patients included in our pilot trial, further studies are needed to strengthen the hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]