An acupuncturist punctured both lungs of a woman during treatment for a left arm and wrist injury, according to a report released by the Health and Disability Commissioner today.
The 33-year-old sought the treatment in March. The acupuncturist inserted needles in both "jian jing" areas — a pressure point on each side of a shoulder close to the lungs.
Needling in this area has a known risk of causing a collapsed lung.
The commissioner, Andrew Hill, wrote in a statement "it was more likely than not that the acupuncturist inserted the needles too deeply".
He concluded the acupuncturist did not take appropriate care and did not recognise the woman's symptoms of chest numbness and pain as symptoms indicating a possible lung injury.
Mr Hill recommended the acupuncturist practice informed consent and receive further training on acupuncture techniques.
The patient told the commissioner that she was not told needles would be placed near her lungs. She was also not informed of the potential risk of lung injury.
The report found the acupuncturist in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights that states consumers have a right to receive service with reasonable care and skill.
The clinic was not found in breach of the code.
The clinic advised that it was improving its service in the commissioner's report. It said the acupuncturist would need to provide patients with consent forms to sign and ensure patients understood the information on the forms.
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