Safety, Clean Needle Technique & Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real AP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Safety, Clean Needle Technique & Ethics flashcards as text
A patient presents with keloid scarring over an intended acupuncture site. The most appropriate response is to:
Answer: Avoid needling the keloid; choose adjacent or distal points instead
Keloids are hypersensitive scar tissue and should not be needled; selecting adjacent or distal points avoids the risk of aggravating the lesion.
When obtaining informed consent for acupuncture treatment, which element is MOST critical to include?
Answer: The nature of treatment, material risks, and available alternatives
Valid informed consent requires disclosure of the nature of the treatment, its material risks (e.g., bruising, needlestick, infection), and reasonable alternatives.
Which of the following actions constitutes a violation of professional boundaries in acupuncture practice?
Answer: Lending money to a patient experiencing financial hardship
Financial transactions outside the professional fee structure (lending money, gifts, bartering without policy) create dual relationships that compromise professional boundaries.
Which gauge needle (smallest diameter) is MOST appropriate for treating a patient with extreme needle sensitivity?
Answer: 36 gauge
Higher gauge numbers indicate thinner needles; a 36-gauge needle has the smallest diameter and is least likely to cause discomfort in needle-sensitive patients.
A pregnant patient in her first trimester requests acupuncture for morning nausea. The practitioner should:
Answer: Avoid points traditionally contraindicated in pregnancy (e.g., SP-6, LI-4, GB-21) while treating PC-6 for nausea
Pregnancy acupuncture is permissible with appropriate modifications; traditionally contraindicated points must be avoided while safe points like PC-6 may be used for nausea.
The standard hand-washing duration recommended before acupuncture procedures according to clean needle technique is:
Answer: At least 20 seconds with soap and water
The CDC and CCAOM CNT protocol recommend scrubbing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water to effectively reduce microbial load.
If a practitioner accidentally needles an artery and pulsatile bleeding occurs, the correct response is to:
Answer: Apply firm, sustained direct pressure for several minutes until bleeding stops
Firm, sustained direct pressure is the standard first-aid response to arterial bleeding; the site must be monitored until hemostasis is confirmed.