The incidence of infections from acupuncture is small. This article examines best practices for avoiding iatrogenic infections. Preparing the skin with 70% isopropyl alcohol is compared with no preparation before needling. Different skin antiseptics are compared. Chlorhexidine-gluconate-alcohol proves superior. Many studies indicate that the practice of preparing skin with 70% isopropyl alcohol offers no advantage over no preparation. Hand washing and drying by the practitioner are important for best practices. The issue of needle touching is addressed.
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