Sterilization of cups & guasha instruments

[Guest guest]

Hi Andrea Beth & All,

 

Andrea Beth wrote:

> I am considering integrating more gua sha and cupping in to my

> treatments, and I have several questions: How do I sterilize the cups

> and gua sha tools after use? What kind of solution do I use? Are the

> gua sha tools made of water buffalo horn capable of being sterilized at

> all?

 

Last year, we discussed the question of sterilisation of needles and 7-star

instruments. Outbreaks of hepatitis and AIDS have been traced to re-use of

dirty needles.

 

As mentioned then, prion-contaminated material can remain infective after

ASHING at 600 deg centigrade. See: http://rense.com/general34/evi.htm

 

This is mind-boggling and we should forget it at only our peril as a

profession. I feel most strongly that the profession MUST take a very hard

line on this, i.e. actively promote single-use needles, BAN attempts to

sterilise and re-use them, and strike off members who disobey that ban.

 

I have not used cups or guasha tools. However, if there is ANY chance of

blood/human fluid contamination of those tools, IMO we should:

(a) use disposable (single use (per patient)) tools, or keep a " resterilised

set " for the each individual patient, or

(b) have hospital-standard facilities for very thorough cleansing and high-

pressure autoclaving of those tools.

 

Best regards,

 

[Guest guest]

wrote:

<snip>

> I have not used cups or guasha tools. However, if there is ANY chance of

> blood/human fluid contamination of those tools

 

Hi Dr. Phil!

 

Neither gua sha or cupping are intended to break the skin. There is

seldom or never any blood on the gua sha tool or cups.

 

The protocol we used at my school was to soak these in bleach water,

rinse and dry. In the theoretical rare event that there would be blood

on one after all that soaking and rinsing there would still have to be a

skin break on the subsequent patient, which you would obviously see and

avoid, for it to even matter and it never happened.

 

I have all these tools at my own clinic, but never ever have used them

even once in four years. Such things are so labor intensive that I wind

up just using disposable needles and herbal pills. A shame not to do

these treatments since they are marvelous in their near-instantaneous

effect, but just too much work that no one wants to pay for.

 

Regards,

 

Pete

[Guest guest]

Even if you are not pricking to bleed and then cupping over the

area, you can still have a small amount of blood extravasate out

through the skin. This seems to depend on the constitution of the

patient, and is unrelated to any bruising.

I wash the glass cups with 4% chlorhexidine and then wipe out with

either ethanol or isopropol alcohol. Of course this wont destroy

prions, but as Im not cupping directly on the brain or doing

tonsilectomies with the cups etc, the risk should be pretty small

for creutzfeldt jacob (sp.?). One would hope, anyway. I havent

worked out what to do with the bamboo cups I brought back from

China, though. I dont think I ever saw them washed out in the

hospital there.

Regards,

Lea.

 

Chinese Medicine , petetheisen

<petetheisen wrote:

>

> wrote:

> <snip>

> > I have not used cups or guasha tools. However, if there is ANY

chance of

> > blood/human fluid contamination of those tools

>

> Hi Dr. Phil!

>

> Neither gua sha or cupping are intended to break the skin. There

is

> seldom or never any blood on the gua sha tool or cups.

>

> The protocol we used at my school was to soak these in bleach

water,

> rinse and dry. In the theoretical rare event that there would be

blood

> on one after all that soaking and rinsing there would still have

to be a

> skin break on the subsequent patient, which you would obviously

see and

> avoid, for it to even matter and it never happened.

>

> I have all these tools at my own clinic, but never ever have used

them

> even once in four years. Such things are so labor intensive that I

wind

> up just using disposable needles and herbal pills. A shame not to

do

> these treatments since they are marvelous in their near-

instantaneous

> effect, but just too much work that no one wants to pay for.

>

> Regards,

>

> Pete

>

[Guest guest]

leabun1 wrote:

<snip>

> I havent worked out what to do with the bamboo cups I brought back

> from China, though. I dont think I ever saw them washed out in the

> hospital there. Regards, Lea.

 

Hi Lea!

 

I have several things from China that I keep for display but don't

actually use. This would be my recommendation for the bamboo cups.

 

Regards,

 

Pete

 

>>> I have not used cups or guasha tools. However, if there is ANY

>>> chance of blood/human fluid contamination of those tools

>>

>> Hi Dr. Phil!

>>

>> Neither gua sha or cupping are intended to break the skin.