CNT WRITTEN EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
Common side effects of needling include - ANS Bleeding, bruising, fatigue, headache, pain
Serious adverse side effects include - ANS Pneumothorax, nerve injury, infections (hepatitis,
staph, tuberculosis)
How to prevent excessive bleeding - ANS Apply clean cotton/gauze when removing needles,
hold against the area for a few seconds
What can delay or increase bleeding and bruising - ANS Anticoagulant medications
Guideline to prevent bleeding, bruising, and vascular injury - ANS Avoid needling directly into
arteries and major veins, palpate subcutaneous structures, apply pressure after removing
needles, careful of points that lie over or next to major vessels: LU9, HT7, ST9, ST12, ST13, ST42,
SP11, HT1, LV12, BL40
Why should practitioners limit the amount of needle manipulation - ANS Single direction
twirling can cause subcutaneous tissue fibers and fascia to twist around the needle shaft
Allodynia - ANS A patient with chronic pain may develop this as a painful response to a
normal innocuous stimulus
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,Hyperalgesia - ANS An increased response to a painful stimulus if the patient has chronic pain
Does caffeine affect patient's pain perception? - ANS True, heightens anxiety, enhance
muscular strength performance, can increase pain perception, can block e-stim elevations
Safety guidelines to prevent fainting in first time patients - ANS Place patient in supine
position with knees slightly elevated, eat 1-2 hours prior to treatment, explain procedure, limit
needle manipulation
How does a stuck needle happen? - ANS Excessive manipulation, twirling in single direction,
enters the muscle layer depth, if patient mjoves
How to remove a stuck needle? - ANS Ask patient to relax, massage or lightly tap the skin,
then remove
If still stuck, insert another needle nearby to relax the muscle, turn the needle in opposite
direction of initial stimulation, then withdraw
Menken/Mengen phenomenon or Healing crisis - ANS Aggravation of symptoms as a result of
acupuncture on an infrequent but consistent basis , can cause symptoms of fatigue, drowsiness,
inflammation
Pneumothorax - ANS The abnormal presence of air in the space between the Lung and the
wall of the chest, which prevents lung expansion
Occurs twice in a quarter of a million treatments
Symptoms of acupuncture pneumothorax - ANS Dyspnea, tachypnea, chest pain, dry cough,
cyanosis, diaphoresis/sweating
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, Those at increased risk of pneumothorax - ANS Smokers, those with lung disease (asthma,
emphysema, COPD), lung cancer, those on corticosteroids
Safe needling depth to avoid pneumothorax - ANS 10-20 mm, oblique angle, do not cup over
needles on the thorax
Careful of points in the thoracic body: body, neck, shoulder, scapular, chest, ribs region
Other organs at risk of injury - ANS Heart, sternal foramen, gallbladder, bowels, stomach,
liver, pancreas, kidney
25 mm safe distance to avoid injury, oblique transverse in around heart
Safe distance for spinal cord - ANS 25-45 mm
No needling Du 22 in infants, do not cup over needles on abdomen
Peripheral nerve damage - ANS Can cause neuropathy, nerve palsy
LI4
Needling blood vessels can lead to - ANS Compartment syndrome, deep vein thrombosis,
popliteal artery, occlusion, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm
Avoid aggressive needle manipulation in hand, wrist, ankle, fibular head
How many people are carriers of Staph and MRSA - ANS 1 in 3 for staph
1 in 10 for MRSA
Does a carrier always exhibit symptoms or indications - ANS No
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
Common side effects of needling include - ANS Bleeding, bruising, fatigue, headache, pain
Serious adverse side effects include - ANS Pneumothorax, nerve injury, infections (hepatitis,
staph, tuberculosis)
How to prevent excessive bleeding - ANS Apply clean cotton/gauze when removing needles,
hold against the area for a few seconds
What can delay or increase bleeding and bruising - ANS Anticoagulant medications
Guideline to prevent bleeding, bruising, and vascular injury - ANS Avoid needling directly into
arteries and major veins, palpate subcutaneous structures, apply pressure after removing
needles, careful of points that lie over or next to major vessels: LU9, HT7, ST9, ST12, ST13, ST42,
SP11, HT1, LV12, BL40
Why should practitioners limit the amount of needle manipulation - ANS Single direction
twirling can cause subcutaneous tissue fibers and fascia to twist around the needle shaft
Allodynia - ANS A patient with chronic pain may develop this as a painful response to a
normal innocuous stimulus
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,Hyperalgesia - ANS An increased response to a painful stimulus if the patient has chronic pain
Does caffeine affect patient's pain perception? - ANS True, heightens anxiety, enhance
muscular strength performance, can increase pain perception, can block e-stim elevations
Safety guidelines to prevent fainting in first time patients - ANS Place patient in supine
position with knees slightly elevated, eat 1-2 hours prior to treatment, explain procedure, limit
needle manipulation
How does a stuck needle happen? - ANS Excessive manipulation, twirling in single direction,
enters the muscle layer depth, if patient mjoves
How to remove a stuck needle? - ANS Ask patient to relax, massage or lightly tap the skin,
then remove
If still stuck, insert another needle nearby to relax the muscle, turn the needle in opposite
direction of initial stimulation, then withdraw
Menken/Mengen phenomenon or Healing crisis - ANS Aggravation of symptoms as a result of
acupuncture on an infrequent but consistent basis , can cause symptoms of fatigue, drowsiness,
inflammation
Pneumothorax - ANS The abnormal presence of air in the space between the Lung and the
wall of the chest, which prevents lung expansion
Occurs twice in a quarter of a million treatments
Symptoms of acupuncture pneumothorax - ANS Dyspnea, tachypnea, chest pain, dry cough,
cyanosis, diaphoresis/sweating
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, Those at increased risk of pneumothorax - ANS Smokers, those with lung disease (asthma,
emphysema, COPD), lung cancer, those on corticosteroids
Safe needling depth to avoid pneumothorax - ANS 10-20 mm, oblique angle, do not cup over
needles on the thorax
Careful of points in the thoracic body: body, neck, shoulder, scapular, chest, ribs region
Other organs at risk of injury - ANS Heart, sternal foramen, gallbladder, bowels, stomach,
liver, pancreas, kidney
25 mm safe distance to avoid injury, oblique transverse in around heart
Safe distance for spinal cord - ANS 25-45 mm
No needling Du 22 in infants, do not cup over needles on abdomen
Peripheral nerve damage - ANS Can cause neuropathy, nerve palsy
LI4
Needling blood vessels can lead to - ANS Compartment syndrome, deep vein thrombosis,
popliteal artery, occlusion, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm
Avoid aggressive needle manipulation in hand, wrist, ankle, fibular head
How many people are carriers of Staph and MRSA - ANS 1 in 3 for staph
1 in 10 for MRSA
Does a carrier always exhibit symptoms or indications - ANS No
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
