Objective:To investigate the efficacy of floating acupuncture therapy in the treatment of chronic refractory pressure ulcers and its effects on serum levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and insulin-like growth factor-1.Methods:A total of 60 patients with chronic refractory pressure ulcers who received treatment in The Second Hospital of Jiaxing from October 2019 to October 2021 were included in this study. They were randomly divided into observation and control groups, with 30 patients in each group. The patients in the control group were given routine treatment, while the patients in the observation group were given floating acupuncture therapy based on routine treatment. Clinical efficacy, wound healing rate after 7, 14 and 21 days of treatment, the time of emerging granulation tissue, the time of shedding rotten meat, and the time of wound healing, changes in serum levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and insulin-like growth factor-1 after 21 days of treatment relative to those before treatment were compared between the two groups.Results:Total response rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [90.0% (27/30) vs. 66.7% (20/30), χ2 = 4.81, P < 0.05]. Wound healing rate after 7, 14 and 21 days of treatment in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( t = -5.45, -7.77, -7.51, all P < 0.001). The time of emerging granulation tissue, the time of shedding rotten meat, and the time of wound healing in the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group ( t = 5.69, 9.26, 8.91, all P < 0.001). After 21 days of treatment, serum levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and insulin-like growth factor-1 in the observation group were (96.52 ± 10.43) U/mL, (4.32 ± 0.78) μmol/L, (43.52 ± 8.29) μg/L, respectively, which were significantly different from (83.76 ± 6.81) U/mL, (5.48 ± 0.92) μmol/L, (36.78 ± 9.18) ng/mL, in the control group ( t = 5.61, 5.27, 2.98, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Floating acupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of refractory pressure ulcer. It can accelerate wound healing, increase serum superoxide dismutase and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, and decrease serum malondialdehyde level.