[Objective]Mie University Hospital Department of Anesthesiology established an integrated acupuncture care clinic in April 2010. A total of 8 incidents and accidents occurred during a period of eight months from commencement in April through November of 2010.
Re-examination of the issues from the incident and accident reports, led to the creation of a clinical manual for the acupuncture clinic as a means to improve the safety of the acupuncture clinic.
[Methods]Based on the contents of the reported incidents, which were collected from electronic medical records up to November 1st 2010, a safety manual was created for the prevention of recurring incidents and accidents. Following a request for approval to the Safety Division of Mie University Hospital, the safety manual underwent screening and inspection and was eventually approved.
After the introduction of the manual, the occurrence of incidents and accidents, was tracked using electronic medical records for a period of four months from December 2010 to March 2011.
[Results]The incidents and accidents that occurred before the creation of the manual were all related to acupuncture (dropped acupuncture needles: 5, needles taken home: 1, and leaving needles inserted: 2). Incidents and accidents have not been reported since the introduction of the manual, that is, for a period of four months from December 2010 to March 2011.
[Conclusion]Clinical practice based on the manual suggests the possibility of preventing incidents and accidents, as none have been reported since the introduction of the manual. The safety manual is still incomplete, as it emphasizes mainly the management of acupuncture and not its entire context. If any further negative incidents or accidents occur, a review and improvement of the present manual will be required. In order to deal with any new negative incidents or accidents, organizing a team will be indispensable.
Since Mie University Hospital has an established Safety Division, soliciting the cooperation of the infectious disease control and medical safety experts to ensure safe clinical practices in the acupuncture core clinic should also be arranged.
The results suggest that the creation of a safety manual can be a means of preventing the occurrence of incidents and accidents.

An educational video describing the acupunctural stimulation of the pudendal nerve for treatment of urinary disturbances was produced. Treatment points on the meridian were selected within the limits of the top 1/2 to 3/5 of the line that connects the superior posterior iliac spine and the inner lower edge of the ischiatic tuberosity. Since the pudendal nerve is situated between the sacrospinous ligament in this region, it could be readily stimulated from the body surface. A 90mm (#24) acupuncture needle was used for the treatments. When the needle was inserted to a depth of 50-80mm from the body surface, the pudendal nerve was reached. Echo sensation in the penis indicated that the acupuncture needle had contacted the pudendal nerve.
Either the sparrow-pecking, needle-twisting, or the low frequency acupunctural techniques were used to delver stimulation to the pudendal nerve. In conclusion, acupunctural stimulation of the pudendal nerve was clinically useful for treatment of urinary disturbances, such as uncoordination of the detrusor muscles in neurogenic bladder and urinary incontinence.