Maggot Debridement Therapy

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Anybody know much about this, or have you seen it ?

Thanks,

____________

Praiser :heartbeat

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Specializes in student; help!.

Nope, but COOL!

My dad had a pt with accidental maggot debridment once, though. Pulled off his boot in the ER and out spilled a whole mess of 'em. Hello, BKA!

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I have actually read about it...supposedly since they eat only the dead tissue, it's not supposed to hurt and is supposed to not be painful, other than the thought and stimuli of movement that maggots are doing the job.

I would also, like to hear about those that may work in wound care that use this method.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I haven't personally seen it, but husband has, at a larger hospital. Said it was "wicked cool". Has been unable to talk our docs or patients into it though. In all seriousness, he said the wound healed much quicker, and less scarring.

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.

I've heard of it, but never seen it. Among those that use it, it seems well-regarded. The maggots are raised in sanitary conditions, and supposedly, they only eat non-viable tissue, without harming either intact or granulation tissue. Since dead tissue must be cleared away before a wound can heal, the fact that they can get to tracts of dead tissue that are unreachable without invasive debridement methods means that the wound can be healed without a lot of collateral damage.

Whether many people would accept this form of treatment either for themselves or loved ones is another question. I also don't know what kind of pain there is associated with maggot debridement therapy. But if it truly works that well, then more physicians and nurses should work to promote this therapy. Maybe we could prevent more amputations and infections this way.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

I have used it in vascular patients and in nasty infected burns.

It does work very well but gives me the creeps

http://www.smtl.co.uk/WMPRC/Maggots/maggots.html

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I Have not seen maggot therapy in use, but have seen leeches used.

In both cases, the critters are specially bred and raised in sanitary conditions and are "pharmaceutical grade" -- not just fished out of the swamp out back. :chuckle And, in both cases, they do "their" job (in the case of maggots, debriding wounds, and, in the case of leeches, draining congested blood from tissue) much better than any"artificial" or "modern" alternative we have (which is why they are back/still in use, despite the significant "ick factor" :)). I would use either on myself, if needed, without thinking twice (of course, I have a particularly strong stomach ... haha)

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I saw a video (the one below) of maggots being used inside a pt's ear canal to remove a dead fly, but never seen it it person

http://www.entusa.com/videos_flash/ear-maggots/ear_maggots_flv0.htm

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
I saw a video (the one below) of maggots being used inside a pt's ear canal to remove a dead fly, but never seen it it person

http://www.entusa.com/videos_flash/ear-maggots/ear_maggots_flv0.htm

Am I the only one here going ew ew ew ew ew

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Specializes in Tele, Infectious Disease, OHN.

I had a patient that we used the maggots on. It did not bother me but some nurses really freaked out. The main things I remember are 1) the maggots will crawl away from where you put them, so it is important to monitor them as directed and count them so as not to lose one (patient got pretty upset), 2) we had to reuse them, so to speak. We put them in saline ( I think) then they emptied out the blood and we put them back on, 3) it worked. It saved a man's leg. Good luck!

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I had a patient that we used the maggots on. It did not bother me but some nurses really freaked out. The main things I remember are 1) the maggots will crawl away from where you put them, so it is important to monitor them as directed and count them so as not to lose one (patient got pretty upset), 2) we had to reuse them, so to speak. We put them in saline ( I think) then they emptied out the blood and we put them back on, 3) it worked. It saved a man's leg. Good luck!

It sounds like you're talking about leeches, not maggots ...

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Agreed, sounds like leeches to me. Those I've used a couple times, lots of fun, worked like a charm. Never gotten to do the maggots though.

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