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Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles centimeters below the skin surface. This practice has been used for a bewildering variety of disorders, including chronic pain, migraines, obesity, disorders of menstruation, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, depression, infertility, allergic rhinitis, and dysphagia. Although its efficacy for these and other conditions is largely unproven, acupuncture remains in common use throughout the world. One clear potential consequence of this intervention is infection.
In an editorial, these authors review reports of acupuncture-transmitted infections, suggest that such infections are likely to be undiagnosed, and note that clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for an association with acupuncture in…