Abstract
[Purpose] This study investigated the safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in Japan. A questionnaire about infection control was developed based on the “Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture” published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999.
[Method] The questionnaire was sent to the members of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (JSAM) and the Japan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Association (JAMA) in August 2000 and in September 2001, respectively. The items on the questionnaire were “a clean working environment”, “clean hands of the practitioner”, “preparation of the needling sites”, “sterile needles and equipment, and appropriate storage”, “aseptic technique” and “careful management and disposal of used needles and swabs”.
[Result&Conclusion] The questionnaire response rate was 49.6% (443/894). The results suggest that approaches to infection control are better than those in our previous report in 1996. However, the rate of using disposable needles was still low and most acupucturists held the needle with bare hands during inserting. It is necessary to improve pre-and postgraduate education regarding safety in performing acupuncture and moxibustion, including the infection control.
