How is infection management controlled?

Non-physician acupuncturists are required by law to use disposable one-time-use sterilized needles. Physicians because of their experience and background in infection control have the perogative of using re-usable sterilized needles. These needles would need to be sterilized in the same way as any surgical instrument.

Blood loss is minimal with acupuncture, therefore acupuncturist are not required to gloves when needling. It is quite reassuring to review the medical literature and not find one documented case where an acupuncturist has transmitted a "personal" infectious disease to a patient or vice versa.

The review of the literature on the risk of infection associated with acupuncture is assureing that if one receives acupuncture from a licensed practitioner in North America the risk of a serious infection is drastically less than the risk of a serious accident while traveling to the acupuncturist's office. The exception to this might be acupuncture being delivered in a hospital setting.