Sterilization of cups & guasha instruments

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Lea,

 

> 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.

 

Blood-to-blood contact is a KNOWN route of transmission of HIV and

hepatitis virus. Also, there is a suspicion that blood-to-blood route may

transmit prion diseases. See:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15214

 

One cannot guarantee complete sterilisisation of prion material on glass or

metal with any standard method. Therefore, IMO, if at all possible,

instruments that thave come in contact with human blood or fluids should

not be reused in other humans.

 

IMO, being SEEN to be very strict as regards elimination of cross-infection

is a most important Public Relations exercise for the AP and allied

professions. Enemies of our professions will use any and all weaknesses in

our procedures to quash our methods.

 

Shoddy practices as regards risks of cross-infection, as may be seen

occasionally in China and elsewhere are NOT acceptable in our societies.

 

Best regards,

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Phil

 

Have you been to a dentist recently? They are dealing with blood (sometimes

in large quantities) all the time and yet they do not use disposable

instruments. I have concerns about the safety of this and other

medical/surgical procedures. What my acupuncturist does is of far less

concern although I agree that as professionals we have to be rigorous. The

British Acupuncture Council has a full set of health and safety

procedures/requirements covering all aspects of acupuncture and which

members have to follow. There is no requirement for acupuncturists to

become a member of a professional body at this time (in the UK) and I

believe that is to the detriment of the profession as a whole and to public

safety in general.

 

Regards

Susie

 

> Blood-to-blood contact is a KNOWN route of transmission of HIV and

> hepatitis virus. Also, there is a suspicion that blood-to-blood route may

> transmit prion diseases. See:

> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15214

>

> One cannot guarantee complete sterilisisation of prion material

> on glass or

> metal with any standard method. Therefore, IMO, if at all possible,

> instruments that thave come in contact with human blood or fluids should

> not be reused in other humans.

>

> IMO, being SEEN to be very strict as regards elimination of

> cross-infection

> is a most important Public Relations exercise for the AP and allied

> professions. Enemies of our professions will use any and all

> weaknesses in

> our procedures to quash our methods.

>

> Shoddy practices as regards risks of cross-infection, as may be seen

> occasionally in China and elsewhere are NOT acceptable in our societies.

>

> Best regards,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Susie

 

> Hi Phil, Have you been to a dentist recently? They are dealing with

> blood (sometimes in large quantities) all the time and yet they do not

> use disposable instruments. I have concerns about the safety of this

> and other medical/surgical procedures.

 

I am appalled by the casual approach of the dental profession to instrument

sterility. That may change soon, as a recent UK Govmt Report AT LAST

recognises dentistry as a possible means of transmitting prion diseases.

 

See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/bse/article/0,,1770568,00.html

Advisers warn of vCJD risk to dental patients ¡¤ Reused instruments

present 'plausible' risk - Department of Health to consider new advice

 

James Meikle, Tuesday May 9, 2006, The Guardian: Patients undergoing

routine dental treatments for root canal problems may have been exposed

to infection by the human form of BSE because instruments have been

previously used on patients unwittingly carrying the incurable disease,

government scientific advisers said yesterday. About 3m such treatments

are conducted every year in England and Wales alone. The scientists have

told health ministers to consider banning the reuse of the equipment needed

because of " hypothetical but plausible scenarios " which suggest that

person-to person cases of variant CJD might follow the shrinking number of

animal-to-human cases.

 

 

Best regards,

 

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