ACC - Acupuncture Certification for Chiropractors Clean Needle Technique and Safety Questions and Answers

Question 1

According to the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) Clean Needle Technique (CNT) Manual, what is the most critical step for preventing cross-contamination between patients?

Accepted Answer

Proper hand washing between patients and before/after needling.

Answer

Swabbing the insertion site with alcohol.

Answer

Wearing sterile gloves during needle insertion.

Answer

Using only gold-plated needles for their antimicrobial properties.

Question 2

A patient arrives for an acupuncture session with a small, open wound on their leg near a desired acupoint. Which of the following is the most appropriate action for the practitioner to take?

Accepted Answer

Select an alternative acupoint and avoid needling directly into or adjacent to the non-intact skin.

Answer

Needle the point directly through the open wound after cleaning it thoroughly.

Answer

Cover the wound with a sterile bandage and needle through the bandage.

Answer

Inform the patient that acupuncture is contraindicated for them entirely due to the wound.

Question 3

Which of the following items must be sterile, single-use, and disposable according to universal Clean Needle Technique standards?

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture needles.

Answer

Treatment table paper.

Answer

Guide tubes.

Answer

Alcohol prep pads.

Question 4

After treating a patient, a chiropractor accidentally drops an unused, sterile needle from its opened packaging onto the clean field. What is the correct procedure?

Accepted Answer

Discard the needle immediately into a designated sharps container.

Answer

Pick up the needle and use it, as it landed on the clean field.

Answer

Wipe the needle with an alcohol swab before using it on the patient.

Answer

Place the needle back into its original packaging to be re-sterilized later.

Question 5

A practitioner is setting up for an acupuncture treatment. The establishment of a 'clean field' primarily serves to:

Accepted Answer

Prevent sterile needles and equipment from becoming contaminated by contact with common surfaces.

Answer

Provide a sterile surface for surgical procedures.

Answer

Keep all treatment supplies organized in one place.

Answer

Impress the patient with the practitioner's commitment to cleanliness.

Question 6

According to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard as it applies to an acupuncture practice, what is the correct method for disposing of used acupuncture needles?

Accepted Answer

Placing them in a puncture-proof, leak-proof, labeled sharps container.

Answer

Recapping the needles and placing them in a general waste bin.

Answer

Bending the needles to render them unusable and then discarding them.

Answer

Transporting them to a local pharmacy for disposal.