[Trial for replacing fire needle by filiform needle].
OBJECTIVE
To promote a new kind of alternative needle of filiform-fire needle with fire needle.


METHODS
The common three-headed fire needle, thick fire needle, less-thick fire needle, fine fire needle, single-filiform needle and three-filiform-needle were used by 20 medical staffs, and the time of heating needles was recorded. The advantages of using filiform needles compared with common fire needles were evaluated.


RESULTS
The time of heating single and three-filiform needles was shorter than the other four common fire needles (all P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Filiform needle is better than the common fire needle in terms of production process,materials, and heating time, etc. Therefore, filiform needles can replace common fire needles for pricking.
Huang
Shi-xi
SX
Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China. hshixi@sina.com
Mao
Mei
M
Liu
Zhi-shun
ZS
Zhao
Hong
H
Xu
Ming-zhu
MZ
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D055815:Young Adult