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Introduction The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture-assisted anesthesia (AAA) in breast lump excision. Methods The medical records of all patients who underwent breast lump excision under AAA in combination with electrical stimulation at traditional acupuncture points in 2016 were examined. All of them (n = 17) received electrostimulation (2–4 Hz) using single needles inserted at bilateral LI4 and PC6. They also underwent insertion of four acupuncture needles at the lump site, which were electrically stimulated at 30 Hz frequency. Results All surgical procedures were successful with minimal use of analgesics and local anesthetic. The median pain score reported was 1/10 (interquartile range (IQR) = 2/10) at the first hour, and slightly increased to 2/10 (IQR = 2/10) between 24 and 48 h of the surgery. No major postoperative adverse events were documented, except for drowsiness in one case. Conclusion AAA was found to be generally safe and effective for anaesthesia and analgesia in breast lump excision. However, a large-scale randomized controlled study is required to verify the findings.

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Background Chronic pain has a major impact on a patient’s quality of life, affecting physical and psychological functioning. It has debilitating consequences on social and economic aspects too. This study aimed to explore the status of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Malaysian patients suffering from chronic non-malignant pain. Methods Four hospitals offering pain clinic services were involved in this multicentre cross-sectional study conducted between June and September 2020. Adult patients who had been diagnosed with non-malignant chronic pain lasting for at least three months and able to communicate in English or Malay language were recruited in this study. Participants were informed about the study and were made aware that their participation was entirely voluntary. A battery of questionnaires consists of the EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ VAS), the Pain Self-Efficacy questionnaire (PSEQ) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) were self-administered by the patients. Besides, a structured questionnaire was used to collect their socio-demographic information, pain condition, sleep quality and working status. Participants’ usage of pain medications was quantified using the Quantitative Analgesic Questionnaire (QAQ). Results A total of 255 patients participated in this study. A median EQ-5D index value of 0.669 (IQR: 0.475, 0.799) and a median EQ VAS score of 60.0 (IQR: 50.0, 80.0) were recorded. Malay ethnicity (Adj. B: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.029, 0.126; p = 0.002) and a higher level of self-efficacy (Adj. B: 0.008; 95% CI: 0.006, 0.011; p < 0.001) were predictors of a better HRQoL, while suffering from pain in the back and lower limb region (Adj. B: -0.089; 95% CI: − 0.142, − 0.036; p = 0.001), the use of a larger amount of pain medications (Adj. B: -0.013; 95% CI: − 0.019, − 0.006; p < 0.001), and a higher degree of pain magnification (Adj. B: -0.015; 95% CI: − 0.023, − 0.008; p < 0.001) were associated with a poorer HRQoL. Conclusions These findings suggested that Malay ethnicity and a higher level of self-efficacy were predictors of a better HRQoL in patients with chronic pain, whereas pain-related factors such as higher usage of medication, specific pain site and pain magnification style were predictors of poorer HRQoL.

Online purchase of health supplements (HS) and traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is becoming more popular among the general public. However, how does public behave in such activity is yet to be explored. Thus, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the public’s experience with purchasing HS and T&CM products online. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct in-depth interviews (IDIs) with ten adults. All IDIs were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Two themes emerged from the analysis, including (i) information seeking to understand a product, and the (ii) motivating attributes that influence purchase intention. Participants searched for information in order to understand a product, verified the information obtained, and held a spectrum of perceptions on the reliability of information. Furthermore, motivating attributes that suggest product effectiveness and safety would increase one’s intention to purchase, whereas motivating attributes that convince an individual that the online sales mechanism is reliable would also strengthen the purchase intention of online HS and T&CM products.