Dissertation: maggot therapy and nurses perceptions

Published

Hi, I'm a third year nursing student taking my degree and I qualify this year. I'm starting my dissertation focusing on maggot therapy and nurses perceptions towards this treatment. I want to look at how nurses attitudes can affect whether patients choose to try the treatment and how nurses can positively promote this therapy to their patients if they have positive attitudes towards it themselves.

I'm looking for peer-reviewed qualitative studies undertaken in the uk within the last 10 years however find it almost impossible to find anything directly focused on nurses perceptions to this treatment.

Ive found some studies related related to patients perceptions but they only briefly mention about nurses views.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where or how I can find some more articles for my lit review or am I to broaden my search terms.

thanks, tara.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

The use of larval therapy in wound management i... [J Wound Care. 1999] - PubMed - NCBI

That's the only one I've found thus far. What databases are you using?

edit: Finding it very difficult to find a clinical trial based on attitudes and perceptions from the nurses as it is normally the patients. I would honestly recommend you send a letter to one of the many nurse's journals and ask them this question personally.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I can tell you my perception - UGH!. I had one patient with an order for this therapy. I had to tend to the maggots as well as all my patients (right temp, etc.) I found it difficult to determine when I picked them up if I was holding the maggot tight enough to prevent it from falling or too tight where I would crush it. The whole experience was repulsive. Two days later the patient outcome did not seem to be improved enough to continue the therapy so it was D/C'd

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi Kuriin,

Thanks for your help, I've found the same study as you've found.

So far I've used medline, cinahl, cochrane, BNI. I've continued looking but think I'm

limited on published studies online. Ill take your advice and email some nursing journals to see what they can find. Thanks for your help! It's greatly appreciated!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Only had one experience with this - the therapy worked & patient outcome was good. However, I distinctly recall a mind-blowing realization -- while standing by as the patient's limb was being x-rayed to determine whether we had retrieved all the critters. It is sombody's job to tag maggots with the radiopaque dye.... an official job as a "maggot tagger". :woot:

Kind of puts things in perspective to recall this whenever I become disenchanted with my job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We used to call it "maggot rustling." Personally, I loved the maggots we used therapeutically. And I loved the ones the old guys with the alcohol problems and the tibial osteomyelitis from the war 30 years before who brought in their own after falling asleep in the sun and attracting laying female flies-- those ancient wounds only looked good then. But I really didn't like the occult ones that all of a sudden hatched into flies and swarmed the ICU.

Ahem.

Great article on how to do better literature searches: JNLCP XIII.3, Dillard D (2013) The science of searching databases. 93-99. Don't let the full title scare ya. It's indexed in CINAHL or you can find it online at American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners, Sept 2013 JNLCP link. This WILL get you better results from your searches.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Anyone have any recommendations on books to buy which are good in explaining how to write a research proposal for my study looking at nurses perceptions in using maggot therapy?

Am completely stuck in how to approach and design my study :(

Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

duplicate threads merged as per the TOS

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you considered a PICO approach? Look it up and see if you could re-order your thinking in that direction.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is anecdotal but as a student I've only encountered one patient who had maggot therapy for a leg wound. Bless 'er the old dear said it was like having a massage as they wriggled around under the dressing :D

In regards to your dissertation, i don't know if its any help but I recall reading an article on how double blind medicine trials show a significant % increase in effectiveness when a consultant gives/suggests the treatment over a 'lower ranking' professional suggesting the treatment (regardless of weather its a placebo or actual drug).

Unfortunately I don't recall the study. But perhaps something similar, even though not DIRECTLY related to maggot therapy could help your dissertation? Showing a link between the confidence a patient has in the health professional and the effectiveness of treatment?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
We used to call it "maggot rustling." Personally, I loved the maggots we used therapeutically. And I loved the ones the old guys with the alcohol problems and the tibial osteomyelitis from the war 30 years before who brought in their own after falling asleep in the sun and attracting laying female flies-- those ancient wounds only looked good then. But I really didn't like the occult ones that all of a sudden hatched into flies and swarmed the ICU.

Oh my gosh, what a crazy story. I've seen wounds with "wild" maggots, but it never occurred to me that they would grow up to be flies!!! Gross:-P

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion