Avoiding direct contact between fingers and needle shaft in removing acupuncture needles with alcohol cotton-Assessment of risk reduction using a fluorescent agent- / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective]Using cotton to cover needle shafts when removing acupuncture needles is recommended in order to prevent blood contamination. However, the effect of risk reduction has not been confirmed by experimental studies. We, therefore, observed spreads of fluorescent agent, assumed as blood, with or without alcohol cotton to avoid direct contact between fingers and needle shaft. <BR>[Methods]Subjects were two blind acupuncturists and two acupuncture students. We asked them to insert acupuncture needles to people who played a role of a patient. Of the five acupoints needled, we put the fluorescent agent to one point, and asked the subjects to remove the needles. After all the needles were removed, we took photographs of all points needled and the subjects'hands in order to assess the spread of the fluorescent agent. 'We performed two sessions. In Session A, the subjects used alcohol cotton to cover a needle shaft so that their fingers did not contact the needles directly. In Session B, they did not use alcohol cotton. The subjects were not told that we used the fluorescent agent.<BR>[Results](1) In the forearm of those who were needled, adhesion of the fluorescent agent was not seen in three out of four subjects, in Session A. (2) In two of the four subjects who inserted the needles, the adhesion area of the fluorescent agent in the needle-supporting hands was smaller in Session A compared with Session B. (3) In three of the four subjects who inserted the needles, the adhesion area of the fluorescent agent in the needle-stimulating hands was smaller in Session A compared with Session B.<BR>[Conclusion]It is suggested that covering needle shaft with alcohol cotton during needle withdrawal suppresses the spread of blood contamination.

The Basic Study of Electro-Acupuncture-Therapy by Low Frequency. (II). The Effects on Respiratory function and Heart rate by different points stimulation and different frequency stimulation / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

The purpose of this study was to observe the effect on the change of heart rate and respiratory function by four kinds of different stimulation. We applied low frequency stimulation (1-30Hz) to 15 healthy volunteers. Each subject received stimulation at both 1Hz and 30Hz on Hegu (LI4)/Kong zui (L6) and rhomboids muscles.<br>The results indicated that a 1Hz current injection on the rhomboids muscle was the most effective for the respiratory function. An increase in the forced vital capacity (FVC) and the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and a decrease in the peak expiratory flow (PF) were observed. The change showed a similar tendency to that of a 1Hz stimulation to the rhomboids muscles of the patients wish asthma. This results suggests that the clinical application of acupuncture stimulation is feasible for respiratory diseases.<br>We also observed a correlation between the respiratory function and the autonomic function of heart on the 30Hz stimulation using points Hegu (LI4) and Kong zui (L6).