ew,ew,ewwwwwwww

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am sorry, I just don't think I could do it!

LONDON (Reuters) - British doctors will be able to prescribe maggots to NHS patients with infected wounds from Friday onwards, a hospital official said.

He said the National Health Service had realized maggots were a cheaper and more beneficial way of treating wounds than using conventional medicine.

Patients would be able to treat themselves at home and avoid the possibility of picking up a hospital infection.

Maggots have been used for centuries to rid wounds of decaying flesh, but after the discovery of antibiotics their use went into decline.

"People didn't like the thought of creepy-crawlies on their skin," said Tony Fowler, customer services manager at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, Wales.

"But now there is a renewed interest because of the problems caused by the over-use of antibiotics, and the NHS has seen the cost-effectiveness of maggots."

Research at the Princess of Wales Hospital confirmed that placing sterile maggots on wounds could make them heal faster than conventional medicine.

The creatures devour dead, infected tissue and kill off bacteria that could block the healing process without damaging the surrounding tissue, since they cannot ingest healthy flesh.

Previously, patients could obtain sterile maggots from certain hospitals and research centers.

:chair:

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I have actually looked after a patient who had this treatment a few yrs ago, She had a chronic ulcer that just would not heal, following treatment her ulcer totally healed and she experienced no health problems, and did not get to see the maggots. These maggots had been bred in a totally sterile enviroment and the theory was that way where would be no disease to pass on.

Anna

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Sterile maggots? Now I've heard it all :chuckle

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I actually saw a documentary on this type of therapy. I believe they were using it at the Prince or Princess of Wales Hospital in England.

The results these patients had were amazing!!!!

Many of the patients were diabetics with severe ulcerations and wounds to their feet and legs. Many of them ahd tried other types of wound care and antibiotic therapy with not much success, but the maggots really worked wonders.

The maggots are considered sterile because they are kept in a clean environment and are closely monitored what they are fed (they don't just pull them out of some garbage).

They put the maggots on a sterile piece of cloth and place them on the wound, then wrap the wound securely. After a day or two the nurse or physcian comes back to remove them and replace them with new maggots. The person can't feel them because they only eat at the areas of nectorized tissues but many of the people didn't want to watch as the nurse or physcian pulled them out or put new ones back in.

This documentary also discussed the uses of leech and bee therapy.

The documentary made it seem to me that these insect therapies are more accepted and used over in England than here in the US.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Well - in the ER where I work - I had this young man come in with a huge dressing on his hand and he said he had recent surgery and he thought the bandage was too tight. So...off I go, starting to remove the dressing and chatting. All of sudden, when I'm down to maybe two layers of gauze, he says, "Oh, by the way, don't let the leeches fall off!" Man - I stopped right there, gagged and had to run out of the room. No more unwrapping stuff for me!!!

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On a unit I worked, we used medicinal leeches routinely. I never had a problem with them, but some nurses just freaked out!

The patients were awesome with them. We used them on a darling 80+ yo lady who severed her nose falling though a glass hutch door. Her nose was reattached and without the leeches, the surgery would not have been successful. She would use the call bell... "dear, I believe he's (always a he) done eating". We would retrieve the leech, dress her nose and go through the same procedure in 4 hours for about 3 days.

Ahhhh, those were the good ol days!

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I had a patient come in with maggots in his wounds. The docs said that they saved his life. Without them, he would have had a massive infection :o

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EEEEEEWWWWWW!!!! GROSS GROSS GROSS!!!! I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO SHOWER AGAIN JUST READING THIS!

(can you tell I would NEVER let anyone touch me with maggots?) ICK

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
EEEEEEWWWWWW!!!! GROSS GROSS GROSS!!!! I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO SHOWER AGAIN JUST READING THIS!

(can you tell I would NEVER let anyone touch me with maggots?) ICK

KEWELLLLLLLLLL !!! :D

Hey.. whatever works ! Makes good sense to me. Mind over maggot, right? :chuckle

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Specializes in HIV/AIDS, Dementia, Psych.

Anything that works to heal is a wonderful thing. I have never treated someone with this type of therapy, but I don't think it would bother me. I don't know about having it done to me though? I think I would feel creepy about it then.

OCCHCanada~ I love your story about the little old leech lady...cute!

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Maggots don't sound so bad after you see the same pts over and over every week for debridements of wounds that never heal. My hospital is so backwards still, we probably do have leeches left over from the 18th century (The administators would DIE if they became up to date with the world)

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On a unit I worked, we used medicinal leeches routinely. I never had a problem with them, but some nurses just freaked out!

The patients were awesome with them. We used them on a darling 80+ yo lady who severed her nose falling though a glass hutch door. Her nose was reattached and without the leeches, the surgery would not have been successful. She would use the call bell... "dear, I believe he's (always a he) done eating". We would retrieve the leech, dress her nose and go through the same procedure in 4 hours for about 3 days.

Ahhhh, those were the good ol days!

We use leeches as well. They work wonderfully! We had a 10 year old girl who had severed her hand in a farming accident. We put leeches on her hand numerous times a day. We started a poster board and she would name the leeches. 'Superman' was the pig of the group.

I won't forget the time I went to remove a leech from her hand and he wasn't there. I followed the bloody~slimy trail out her room and around the corner then lost him :roll :nono: Okay, explain that one to housekeeping :rotfl: We let her keep 'Superman' to take back and show her classmates.

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