OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic efficacy of fire needle with different diameters in the treatment of grade II and III pressure ulcers. METHODS: Forty-five patients were randomized into three groups: a fine-needle (0.5 x 40 mm), intermediate-needle (0.65 x 50 mm), and thick-needle group (0.8 x 50 mm), with 15 patients in each group. All patients were treated with conventional nursing, debridement, and fire needle therapy. The participants were treated once a week for 3 weeks, resulting in a total of three treatments. Using the DESIGN-R bedsore evaluation scale before and after treatment, we evaluated pressure ulcer depth, size, and granulation score. RESULTS: The efficiency in the fine-, intermediate-and thick-needle treatment groups were 80.0%, 93.3%, and 86.7%, respectively, and there was no significant difference among the groups (p > 0.05). Compared with baseline, the pressure ulcer depth, size, and granulation scores were decreased after fire needle therapy in all three groups (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, and p < 0.05, respectively). The intermediate fire needle significantly reduced the depth of the pressure ulcer and granulation tissue score more than the fine fire needle and the thick fire needle (p < 0.05 in both cases), but the three groups did not differ significantly in terms of the effect on wound area (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Different diameters of fire needle can be used to treat grade II and III pressure ulcers, and intermediate fire needles can reduce pressure ulcer depth and granulation tissue score more effectively than fine and thick needles.

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