NCCAOM Needling Precautions 4

Question 1

During a treatment session, a patient reports feeling faint, appears pale, and is sweating. The practitioner's FIRST action should be:

Accepted Answer

Remove all needles immediately, have the patient lie down, and provide warmth and reassurance

Answer

Needle shock (acupuncture syncope) requires immediate needle removal and positioning the patient supine to restore circulation before any other intervention.

Question 2

Which of the following patient positions most significantly reduces the risk of needle shock during treatment?

Accepted Answer

Supine position, especially for first-time patients or those who are anxious

Answer

Supine position prevents the drop in cerebral perfusion that occurs with vasovagal syncope, making it the safest position for anxious or first-time acupuncture patients.

Question 3

A filiform needle becomes bent during treatment. The correct procedure is to:

Accepted Answer

Remove it gently along the angle of the bend without straightening, then discard it

Answer

A bent needle should be carefully withdrawn following the curve of the bend to avoid tissue trauma or breakage, then discarded as a single-use item.

Question 4

When a needle breaks at the skin surface during treatment, the practitioner should:

Accepted Answer

Keep the patient still, expose the area by pressing adjacent tissue, attempt to grasp the fragment with forceps, and refer for surgical removal if unsuccessful

Answer

A broken needle requires immobilizing the patient to prevent migration, attempting forceps extraction if the fragment is visible, and referring for surgical removal if it cannot be retrieved.

Question 5

The proper route for disposal of used acupuncture needles in the United States is:

Accepted Answer

In an approved sharps container that is sealed and disposed of through a regulated medical waste service

Answer

Used acupuncture needles are regulated medical sharps waste and must be placed in an approved puncture-resistant sharps container and disposed of through licensed medical waste channels.

(NCCAOM) National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practice Test

(NCCAOM) National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practice Test

NCCAOM Needling Precautions 4