Just thought I'd share something gross

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I got an admission last night. The guy is diabetic and as a consequence, is legally blind. He comes in for left foot cellulities with a gangrenous, necrotic toe. Upon closer inspection, the toe appeared to be moving. Upon even closer inspection, the toe was infested with..... magots. This is the most disgusting thing I've seen so far.

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Specializes in CMSRN.

Sounds like he came in with therapy already started.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
Sounds like he came in with therapy already started.

:yeah::yeah::chuckle:chuckle good point.

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You know, another nurse brought that point up! She said she had a patient a long time ago that came in with maggots too, and the only thing that saved his foot were the maggots because they ate all the dead tissue. I was showing everyone the pictures and they just all wanted to puke!

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

Thanks! I always like to hear disgusting stories. I feel bad for the old guy though- was he homeless?

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I had a patient in the hospital once all avenues of wound care were tried on a stage four decubitus, nothing worked, they actually used sterile maggots, changing them once a day. His wound improved drastically.

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He wasn't homeless! He was the nicest guy ever. He even had a wife with no medical problems. I have no idea why she didn't bring him in sooner - I didn't have the balls to ask that. You would think that during sex or something she would say something like "baby, your toe is moving, I think we should have that checked out." or somethign simliar.

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

Had a pt brought into our Critical Care Unit who had sleep apnea. Seems he never cleaned his apparatus (which caused an infection to set in,before they realized it was due to his mask he wore every night). He had live maggots in his nostrils! We had to pick them out whenever we saw them and put them in a container for lab. It's something I'll never forget because I've never seen it before or since. :eek:

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Wow. Maggots in the nose?!?!?! like a previous poster said, don't maggots eat ONLY dead tissue?. . . meaning. . . he had dead tissue in his nose/sinuses??? :eek: Again, maybe the maggots were a good thing?

Gees that's gross. But I will say that nature is pretty cool sometimes, in all it's grossness mind you. I just wonder you have maggots somewhere if you can feel them moving around? well, if the tissue is dead maybe not. Okay, I'm going to think about something else now, like puppies and flowers and candy. Ah yes, that's better.

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ha ha ha ha ha ha:D

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He wasn't homeless! He was the nicest guy ever. He even had a wife with no medical problems. I have no idea why she didn't bring him in sooner - I didn't have the balls to ask that. You would think that during sex or something she would say something like "baby, your toe is moving, I think we should have that checked out." or somethign simliar.

Something tells me sex was the last of the guy's possible options that day....

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Specializes in Cardiac step down unit.
Wow. Maggots in the nose?!?!?! like a previous poster said, don't maggots eat ONLY dead tissue?. . . meaning. . . he had dead tissue in his nose/sinuses??? :eek: Again, maybe the maggots were a good thing?

Gees that's gross. But I will say that nature is pretty cool sometimes, in all it's grossness mind you. I just wonder you have maggots somewhere if you can feel them moving around? well, if the tissue is dead maybe not. Okay, I'm going to think about something else now, like puppies and flowers and candy. Ah yes, that's better.

Oh man...........you can vomit, poop, and bleed on me- no problem..... but maggots?!:eek::eek::eek::eek:

I saw maggots on the outside of our neighbors trash can one afternoon bringing it up for them............it almost killed me........I took a shower so hot I probably could have blistered my skin, lol. I can honestly say I hope I am never in a position to see that one!

Kelly

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