NY Times Acupuncture and ATTEMPTS to re-sterilise needles

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Pat,

 

Pat Ethridge <pat.ethridge wrote:

> Of more concern to me is the comment at the end by the doctor at

> Cornell, who complains about the potential for hepatitis from

> re-used needles and the need for " regulation " , as if acupuncture

> were not a licensed healthcare profession in New York State where

> practitioners either don't re-use needles or know how to sterilize

> them.

 

Hey, Pat, and all caupuncturists who read this, over the past year,

there has been much discussion on the ethics of even attempting

to resterilise acupuncture needles! I thought that we had moved on

from this!

 

I had hoped by now that the main US acupuncture Authorities

would have banned the reuse of needles between patients by now.

It appears that they have not done so. IMO, this is a disgrace to

the acupuncture profession.

 

IMO, ALL acupuncture schools / societies / organisations should

BAN reuse of needles between human patients, should so notify all

members, and should strike off any member convicted of breaching

that guideline.

 

The insignificant cost of needles, the difficulty of guaranteeing

complete sterility of reused needles from infectious agents like HIV

/ Hepatitis and MOST IMPORTANTLY, TSE-prion infectivity (which

withstands ashing at 600 degrees centigrade), and the potential for

bad publicity for professions that tolerate attempts to resterilise

needles, make this imperative.

 

It is not too late to BAN the reuse of acupuncture needles between

human patients. I urge you all to do so!

 

For a few cents, why take the risk?

 

 

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mobile: 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

 

Chinese Proverb: " Man who says it can't be done, should not interrupt man doing

it "

[Guest guest]

I haven't met anyone in NY State who re-uses needles, but I didn't want to

make a blanket statement, since I don't know for sure. My point was that

the doctor was implying that needles are being re-used inappropriately and

dangerously in general here, which is certainly not true.

 

Pat

 

Hi All, & Pat,

 

Pat Ethridge <pat.ethridge wrote:

> Of more concern to me is the comment at the end by the doctor at

> Cornell, who complains about the potential for hepatitis from

> re-used needles and the need for " regulation " , as if acupuncture

> were not a licensed healthcare profession in New York State where

> practitioners either don't re-use needles or know how to sterilize

> them.

 

Hey, Pat, and all caupuncturists who read this, over the past year,

there has been much discussion on the ethics of even attempting

to resterilise acupuncture needles! I thought that we had moved on

from this!

 

I had hoped by now that the main US acupuncture Authorities

would have banned the reuse of needles between patients by now.

It appears that they have not done so. IMO, this is a disgrace to

the acupuncture profession.

 

IMO, ALL acupuncture schools / societies / organisations should

BAN reuse of needles between human patients, should so notify all

members, and should strike off any member convicted of breaching

that guideline.

 

The insignificant cost of needles, the difficulty of guaranteeing

complete sterility of reused needles from infectious agents like HIV

/ Hepatitis and MOST IMPORTANTLY, TSE-prion infectivity (which

withstands ashing at 600 degrees centigrade), and the potential for

bad publicity for professions that tolerate attempts to resterilise

needles, make this imperative.

 

It is not too late to BAN the reuse of acupuncture needles between

human patients. I urge you all to do so!

 

For a few cents, why take the risk?

 

 

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mobile: 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

 

Chinese Proverb: " Man who says it can't be done, should not interrupt man

doing it "

 

 

 

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