MedWorm: Maggot Therapy

Maggot Therapy May Assist in Wound Healing

WebMD Health — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:06:12 +0100

It sounds medieval, but it’s an accepted part of modern medicine: Maggots may assist in wound healing, French researchers report. (Source: WebMD Health)

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Maggot Therapy for Wound Debridement: A Randomized Multicenter Trial [Study]

Archives of Dermatology — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Although MDT shows no significant benefit at day 15 compared with conventional treatment, debridement by MDT is significantly faster and occurs during the first week of treatment. Because there is no benefit in continuing the treatment after 1 week, another type of dressing should be used after 2 or 3 applications of MDT. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01211236 (Source: Archives of Dermatology)

What is a randomised controlled trial?

Evidence-Based Nursing — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Introduction Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) answer questions about the effectiveness of different care options: ‘what effect does using treatment A or treatment B have on outcomes?’ RCTs are important to nursing as they are the best study design for answering the question ‘should I do this or that?’; nurses ask effectiveness questions frequently. Researchers refer to one treatment being tested as the ‘intervention’ (I) and another treatment (eg, one that would otherwise be used) as the ‘comparator’ (or control) (C). Examples of these effectiveness questions (as well as their interventions and comparators) include:‘Should families of children with eczema install a home water softener?’ (I, water softener; C, regular water in t...

Glowing bandages 'could show infections'

NHS News Feed — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:15:00 +0100

Scientists are developing a “glowing bandage to treat infection”, The Guardian has today reported. The news is based on a new technique devised by researchers at the University of Sheffield, who are currently developing visual methods for quickly identifying the presence of bacteria that could infect a wound. Their technique involves using a long chain-shaped molecule (a polymer) bound to an antibiotic and to a fluorescent dye. In lab models of wounds the fluorescent dye would begin to glow under an ultraviolet (UV) lamp if the antibiotic bound to bacteria. This happens because, under these circumstances, the special polymer changes shape. The researchers hope to use the discovery to develop a gel that can be inserted into wounds to detect bacteria. So far the technique has only been t...

Hydrogel dressings for healing diabetic foot ulcers.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:32:03 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence to suggest that hydrogel dressings are more effective in healing (lower grade) diabetic foot ulcers than basic wound contact dressings however this finding is uncertain due to risk of bias in the original studies. There is currently no research evidence to suggest that hydrogel is more effective than larval therapy or platelet-derived growth factors in healing diabetic foot ulcers, nor that one brand of hydrogel is more effective than another in ulcer healing. No RCTs comparing hydrogel dressings with other advanced dressing types were found. PMID: 21901730 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)

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The use of larvae therapy to debride full thickness burns in the anaesthetically unfit patient: The Nottingham experience

Burns : Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Since antiquity the use of maggot or larval therapy has been well described in the management of chronic and necrotic wounds . Whilst the use of this modality dramatically declined after the 1940s with the revolutionary era of antibiotic therapy, there has been a rebirth in more recent years with the realisation that this modality can provide an effective solution to debride chronic wounds often contaminated with resistant organisms and especially in the anaesthetically compromised patient. (Source: Burns : Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries)

Lucifensin, a Novel Insect Defensin of Medicinal Maggots: Synthesis and Structural Study.

Chembiochem — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ceřovský V, Slaninová J, Fučík V, Monincová L, Bednárová L, Maloň P, Stokrová J Recently, we identified a new insect defensin, named lucifensin that is secreted/excreted by the blowfly Lucilia sericata larvae into a wound as a disinfectant during the medicinal process known as maggot therapy. Here, we report the total chemical synthesis of this peptide of 40 amino acid residues and three intramolecular disulfide bridges by using three different protocols. Oxidative folding of linear peptide yielded a peptide with a pattern of disulfide bridges identical to that of native lucifensin. The synthetic lucifensin was active against Gram-positive bacteria and was not hemolytic. We synthesized three lucifensin analogues that are cyclized through one native disulfide bridge i...

Maggot Therapy in Wound Management in Modern Era and a Review of Published Literature

Journal of Pharmacy Practice — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Maggot therapy is an old remedy, which is being looked into with renewed interest. The use of medicinal maggots was approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical device in 2004. Maggot therapy appears to be efficacious, well tolerated, and cost-effective. Because American Medical Association (AMA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released reimbursement coding guidelines with regards to maggot therapy, there is a potential for a wider use of maggot therapy in United States in the near future. Several mechanisms of action suggested for maggots in debriding wounds are discussed. While maggot therapy demonstrated effectiveness in necrotic wounds, not all wound types respond well to maggot therapy. Future large, randomized, well-designed studies would help better deline...

Maggots and their role in wound care.

British Journal of Community Nursing — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Jones J, Green J, Lillie AK Leg ulcers caused by chronic venous insufficiency affect a great many of the population, costing the NHS an estimated £200 million per year. The clinical use of sterile maggots under the brand name LarveE has increased steadily in the UK since they were introduced in the UK in late 1995. Maggot therapy breaks down necrotic tissue within a chronic wound, transforming it into an acute wound; subsequently beginning the healing process a lot quicker, thus reducing overall costs to the National Health Service. A literature review was conducted on studies that explored the use of maggot therapy in the management of chronic wounds. Four key themes were identified and analysed from this search, including infection control, promotion of healing, cost-effect...

Maggot metabolites and their combinatory effects with antibiotic on Staphylococcus aureus

Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The combination effect of ES and ciprofloxacin at sub-MIC levels showed enhanced antibacterial activity compared to the effect of ES and ciprofloxacin as single agents. Based on the results of ES-ciprofloxacin combinations, a more effective means of treatment for S. aureus can be proposed. (Source: Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials)

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Maggot microRNA: A new inhibitory pathway to bacterial infection

Medical Hypotheses — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Summary: Refractory bacterial infectious diseases are clinically common and troublesome in the treatment. The traditional antibiotics could not be used to control bacterial infection with the indiscriminate use or abuse of drugs. Maggot therapy is a simple and highly successful method for healing of drug-resistant bacterial infected and necrotic wounds. It has been proved maggot can reduce the bacterial load within wounds effectively. However, the anti-bacterial mechanism of maggot is not clear. So far, most previous researches only focus on the anti-bacterial peptides from maggot, ignoring other possible anti-bacterial molecules such as nucleotides. MicroRNAs are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that can bind to the 3′-untranslated regions of the messenger RNA of the target genes. The b...

International Conference on Biotherapy to be held in the US

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0100

(Monarch Labs) The 8th International Conference on Biotherapy will be held in Los Angeles, Nov. 11-14, 2010, at the Universal - Los Angeles Hilton. Running concurrently, in the same conference center, will be the American Apitherapy Society's Annual Course and Conference. During the 4-day conference, an internationally distinguished faculty will educate clinicians and the public about maggot therapy, leech therapy, bee venom therapy, phage therapy, ichthyotherapy, helminthic therapy, pet and hippotherapy, cancer-detecting dogs and more. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Efficient germ-line transformation of the economically important pest species Lucilia cuprina and Lucilia sericata (Diptera, Calliphoridae).

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Concha C, Belikoff EJ, Carey BL, Li F, Schiemann AH, Scott MJ The green blowfly species L. cuprina and L. sericata are economically important pests for the sheep industries of Australia and New Zealand. L. cuprina has long been considered a good target for a genetic pest management program. In addition, L. sericata maggots are used in the cleaning of wounds and necrotic tissue of patients suffering from ulcers that are difficult to treat by other methods. Development of efficient transgenesis methods would greatly facilitate the development of strains ideal for genetic control programs or could potentially improve "maggot therapy". We have previously reported the germ-line transformation of Lucilia cuprina and the design of a "female killing system" that could potentially be a...

Clean wounds by acting the maggot

The Irish Times - Health — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:04:15 +0100

Maggot therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions including pressure sores, surgical wounds and trauma injuries, writesJILL NESBITT (Source: The Irish Times - Health)

Clinical research on the bio‐debridement effect of maggot therapy for treatment of chronically infected lesions

Orthopaedic Surgery — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Objective: (Source: Orthopaedic Surgery)

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Clinical research on the bio-debridement effect of maggot therapy for treatment of chronically infected lesions

Orthopaedic Surgery — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Maggot therapy is a safe and effective method for treating chronically infected lesions. (Source: Orthopaedic Surgery)

Value of a modified clinical signs and symptoms of infection checklist for leg ulcer management

British Journal of Surgery — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to analyse the validity of a modified Clinical Signs and Symptoms Checklist used to measure infection in a sample of patients with a leg ulcer.Data from patients recruited to a randomized controlled trial evaluating larval therapy (VenUS II) were analysed using factor analysis to identify the underlying checklist structure. Linear regression analysis identified whether checklist items, patient characteristics and subjective judgement of infection could predict bacterial load.There were several redundant checklist items when implemented in this sample and items forming the scale had low internal consistency ([alpha] = 0·27). No clear structure to the checklist was detected, with only one underlying theme revealed which had low internal consistency ([alpha] = 0·45...

Value of a modified clinical signs and symptoms of infection checklist for leg ulcer management.

The British Journal of Surgery — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION:: The modified Clinical Signs and Symptoms Checklist does not currently represent a valid tool to measure infection in leg ulcers. Some checklist items may predict bacterial load and may be better than subjective judgement alone. Copyright (c) 2010 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 20309947 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The British Journal of Surgery)

New interest in maggot therapy.

cmaj — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Collier R PMID: 20008505 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: cmaj)

Lucifensin, the long-sought antimicrobial factor of medicinal maggots of the blowfly Lucilia sericata.

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ceřovský V, Zďárek J, Fučík V, Monincová L, Voburka Z, Bém R A novel homologue of insect defensin designated lucifensin (Lucilia defensin) was purified from the extracts of various tissues (gut, salivary glands, fat body, haemolymph) of green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) larvae and from their excretions/secretions. The primary sequence of this peptide of 40 residues and three intramolecular disulfide bridges was determined by ESI-QTOF mass spectrometry and Edman degradation and is very similar to that of sapecin and other dipteran defensins. We assume that lucifensin is the key antimicrobial component that protects the maggots when they are exposed to the highly infectious environment of a wound during the medicinal process known as ...

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Disruption of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms by medicinal maggot Lucilia sericata excretions/secretions.

The International Journal of Artificial Organs — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Harris LG, Bexfield A, Nigam Y, Rohde H, Ratcliffe NA, Mack D Chronic infections are commonly associated with biofilms formed by bacteria such as Staphylococcus epidermidis. With the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria, maggot debridement therapy has been reintroduced for the treatment of chronic wounds. Studies have shown that the excretion/ secretions (ES) of Lucilia sericata larvae (maggots) contain many bioactive compounds which may contribute to the efficacy of maggot therapy. The present study evaluates the effect of L. sericata ES on the formation and disruption of S. epidermidis 1457 and 5179-R1 biofilms. These strains employ either polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) or accumulation associated protein (Aap) for intercellular adhesion. A semiquantitative b...

Amino acid derivatives from Lucilia sericata excretions/secretions may contribute to the beneficial effects of maggot therapy via increased angiogenesis

British Journal of Dermatology — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions The demonstrated proliferative effect, selectively on endothelial cells, suggests that the amino acid-like compounds present in maggot ES may have a role in wound healing, by stimulating angiogenesis. (Source: British Journal of Dermatology)

Maggot excretions/secretions induces human microvascular endothelial cell migration through AKT1.

Molecular Biology Reports — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Wang SY, Wang K, Xin Y, Lv DC Maggot therapy is a simple and highly successful method for healing of infected and necrotic wounds. The increasing evidences indicate that Maggot excretions/secretions (ES) plays important roles in the wounds healing process. But the precise molecular mechanisms remain undefined. Herein, we investigated if ES induced cell migration during wound healing process using microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) as model, and this effect was associated with the activation of AKT1 and ERK1/2. Wound healing and transwell migration assays were performed to study the effects of ES on HMEC-1 cell migration. Our data showed that ES significantly induced HMEC-1 cell migration in both wound healing and transwell assays, and time-dependently (P < 0.05) activ...

Larval therapy as a palliative treatment for severe arteriosclerotic gangrene on the feet

Clinical And Experimental Dermatology — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

We report a patient with ischaemia treated with LT. Inguinal revascularization was performed on a 69-year-old man with critical limb ischaemia, diabetes mellitus, heart failure and end-stage renal disease. Areas of dry black malodorous gangrene remained on the distal areas of the feet after surgery and the patient's poor health did not allow any additional surgery. The patient was referred to the dermatology department for LT. Although patients are usually given this treatment as inpatients, the patient requested treatment at home. After the first LT, there was a marked reduction in odour. The gangrene needed repeated applications of larvae to remove the dead tissue. After eight treatments, the result was more positive than we had expected, with total lack of odour and initiation of healin...

Larval therapy vs hydrogel for leg ulcers: similar benefits, costs

PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:17:07 +0100

(Source: PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes News)

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Do maggots have an influence on bacterial growth? A study on the susceptibility of strains of six different bacterial species to maggots of Lucilia sericata and their excretions/secretions

Journal of Tissue Viability — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: There is no direct antibacterial effect of maggots and/or ES in vitro, however in clinical observations maggot therapy is successful. More research is needed to focus on possible indirect antibacterial activity, such as an immune-related effect. (Source: Journal of Tissue Viability)

Larval therapy vs hydrogel for leg ulcers: similar benefits, costs.

PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:36:35 +0100

Page: 7 (Source: PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News)

Maggot Therapy Similar To Standard Care For Leg Ulcers

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Larval (maggot) therapy has similar health benefits and costs compared with a standard treatment for leg ulcers, find two studies published on bmj.com today. Leg ulcers are chronic wounds most commonly caused by diseased veins in the legs. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Maggot therapy similar to standard care for leg ulcers

Nursing in Practice — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:54:22 +0100

Larval (maggot) therapy has similar health benefits and costs compared with a standard treatment for leg ulcers, find two studies (Source: Nursing in Practice)

Maggots No Better Than Gel For Wound Healing, Study

Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News From Medical News Today — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:00:00 +0100

A UK study found that maggots (larval therapy) were no quicker at helping leg ulcers to heal or get rid of bacteria than the standard treatment based on hydrogel, and they were on the whole more painful, although they did speed up removal of dead tissue (debridement). (Source: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News From Medical News Today)

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Maggot Therapy Comparable to Standard Care for Leg Ulcers

Medscape Pharmacist Headlines — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:08:35 +0100

As a method of debridement for leg ulcers, treatment with maggots, also known as larval therapy, is generally comparable in effectiveness and costs to hydrogel dressings, according to the results of two studies conducted by the VenUS II research team. Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines)

Maggot Therapy: No Advantage for Leg Ulcers

MedPage Today Public Health — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:53:03 +0100

YORK, England (MedPage Today) -- For treating leg ulcers, maggot therapy was as effective as standard therapy with hydrogel, a randomized trial showed. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

Health News of the Day

Clinical Cases and Images — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:16:00 +0100

is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in a bullet points format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day.Meniscus tears increase knee osteoarthritis risk by 3-fold for minor tear and 8-fold for severe meniscal tear http://is.gd/o5fHLive maggot therapy is more painful and does not lead to faster healing of leg ulcers than standard treatment. http://is.gd/o6rsLarval therapy did not improve rate of healing of leg ulcers or reduce bacterial load compared with hydrogel, BMJ: http://is.gd/o6PwThe seemingly mild head injury that killed actress Natasha Richardson was an epidural hematoma http://is.gd/o6rKSocial support in moderate alcohol consumers leads "avoidance of unhealthy behaviors and enhancemen...

Larval Debridement Therapy Effective for Leg Ulcers

Modern Medicine — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

In patients with sloughy or necrotic leg ulcers, debridement with larval therapy leads to similar outcomes at a similar cost as standard hydrogel therapy, but it may be associated with reduced time to debridement and more pain, according to two studies published March 19 in BMJ Online First. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Maggots for Leg Ulcers? Maybe Not

WebMD Health — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:02:55 +0100

Maggot therapy -- using live maggots to eat away dead tissue -- is more painful and does not lead to faster healing of leg ulcers than standard treatment, a study shows. (Source: WebMD Health)

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Maggot therapy hope 'premature'

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:28 +0100

Using maggots to treat leg ulcers is no better than standard treatment with a gel, a UK trial has found. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Monarch Labs announces first wound dressing in US specifically for maggot therapy

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Monarch Labs) Monarch Labs announced today the market launch of its new, proprietary wound dressing specifically designed to make maggot therapy more easy, quick and simple to administer. Monarch Labs has been allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration to produce and marketing this new wound care device under the trade name, LeFlap. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

An overview of maggot therapy used on chronic wounds in the community.

British Journal of Community Nursing — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Jones M Maggot debridement therapy was re-introduced to clinical practice in the UK in the mid 1990s. While at first it was slow to be used by health care professionals, in recent times the therapy has enjoyed an upsurge in use, which has benefited both patients and the NHS. At the same time there has been some resistance to use from clinicians. This led to the introduction of a new presentation of maggots for use in wound care, which has proved popular with both patients and clinicians and has led to increasing use of maggot therapy for the treatment of chronic wounds. PMID: 19452661 [PubMed - in process] (Source: British Journal of Community Nursing)

Therapeutic applications of the larvae for wound debridement

Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Summary: It has been known for centuries that application of larvae is useful to heal certain wounds by facilitating debridement of necrotic tissue. Their therapeutic use was popularised in the beginning of the 19th century, but waned in the 1940s with the advent of antiseptic wound management and antibiotics. In more recent years, larvae are once again in vogue for management of difficult wounds.The mechanism of wound debridement by larvae includes the complete wound by continuous larval motion, secretion of proteolytic enzymes and antibacterial substances, effects on epidermal growth factor and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and ingestion and digestion of bacteria and necrotic tissue.In our study, wound debridement was achieved satisfactorily in 29 of 34 patients (85%) with chronic wounds. In the ...

Maggot Therapy for Wound Management

Advances in Skin & Wound Care — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

No abstract available (Source: Advances in Skin & Wound Care)

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Maggot Therapy for Wound Management.

Advances in Skin & Wound Care — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:47:10 +0100

Page: 25DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000343730.76308.6aAuthors: Hunter, Susan RN, MSN; Langemo, Diane PhD, RN, FAAN; Thompson, Patricia RN, MS; Hanson, Darlene RN, MS; Anderson, Julie PhD, RN, CCRC (Source: Advances in Skin & Wound Care)

[Maggot therapy with Lucilia sericata for debridement of chronic wounds.]

Annales de Dermatologie et de Cenereologie — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Cartier E, Combemale P PMID: 18929922 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annales de Dermatologie et de Cenereologie)

[Maggot therapy with Lucilia sericata for debridement of chronic wounds]

Annales de Dermatologie et de Cenereologie — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Cartier E, Combemale P PMID: 18929922 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annales de Dermatologie et de Cenereologie)

[PostScript] Maggot therapy for periocular skin graft failure in the immunocompromised patient

British Journal of Ophthalmology — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology)

Exploring patient perceptions of larval therapy as a potential treatment for venous leg ulceration

Health Expectations — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:28:37 +0100

Health Expectations, Volume 11, Issue 2, Page 148-159, June 2008. AbstractObjectives To explore patient preferences and acceptability of two forms of larval therapy (‘bagged’ and ‘loose’).Background Larval therapy is frequently used to treat patients with leg ulcers. However, patient preferences and acceptability of ... (Source: Health Expectations)

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Selective antimicrobial activity of maggots against pathogenic bacteria.

Journal of Medical Microbiology — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

In conclusion, larval therapy is highly recommended, particularly for the treatment of wounds infected with Gram-positive bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, but less so for wounds infected with Gram-negative bacteria, especially Proteus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. strains. Bacteria from the genus Vagococcus were resistant to the maggot excreta/secreta. PMID: 18436596 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology)

The value of debridement and Vacuum-Assisted Closure (V.A.C.) Therapy in diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Treatment of diabetic foot ulcers includes a number of different regimes such as glycaemic control, re-vascularization, surgical, local wound treatment, offloading and other non-surgical treatments. Although considered the standard of care, the scientific evidence behind the various debridements used is scarce. This presentation will focus on debridement and V.A.C. Therapy, two treatments widely used in patients with diabetes and foot ulcers.A review of existing literature on these treatments in diabetic foot ulcers, with focus on description of the various types of debridements used, the principles behind negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) using the V.A.C. Therapy system and level of evidence.Five randomized controlled trials (RCT) of debridement were identified; three assessed the ef...

[PostScript] Maggot therapy following orbital exenteration

British Journal of Ophthalmology — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology)

Maggot Therapy for Problematic Wounds: Uncommon and Off-label Applications.

Advances in Skin & Wound Care — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:32:39 +0100

Researchers investigated the efficacy and safety of maggot therapy use as an adjunct to other methods of surgical and nonsurgical wound care and for off-label indications, including debridement, disinfection, and stimulation of healing.Page: 602DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000284943.70825.a8Authors: Sherman, Ronald A. MD, MSc; Shapiro, Charles E. MD, FACS; Yang, Ronald M. MD (Source: Advances in Skin & Wound Care)

Maggot Therapy for Problematic Wounds: Uncommon and Off-label Applications

Advances in Skin and Wound Care — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Medicinal maggots are frequently being used as an adjunct to other methods of surgical and nonsurgical wound care and often for off-label indications, including debridement, disinfection, and stimulation of healing. Further study is warranted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of maggot therapy for these indications, and better education is needed for administrative and clinical staff to make maggot treatment more accessible. (C) 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. (Source: Advances in Skin and Wound Care)

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Maggot debridement therapy in chronic wound care.

Hong Kong Med J — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS. Maggot debridement therapy has been shown to be a safe and effective means of chronic wound management. However, there are a number of limitations when considering its local applicability. Future development of the delivery system may help to overcome some of these limitations and improve its acceptability. PMID: 17914145 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Hong Kong Med J)

[Reviews] Larval therapy from antiquity to the present day: mechanisms of action, clinical applications and future potential

Postgraduate Medical Journal — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100

When modern medicine fails, it is often useful to draw ideas from ancient treatments. The therapeutic use of fly larvae to debride necrotic tissue, also known as larval therapy, maggot debridement therapy or biosurgery, dates back to the beginnings of civilisation. Despite repeatedly falling out of favour largely because of patient intolerance to the treatment, the practice of larval therapy is increasing around the world because of its efficacy, safety and simplicity. Clinical indications for larval treatment are varied, but, in particular, are wounds infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria and the presence of significant co-morbidities precluding surgical intervention. The flies most often used in larval therapy are the facultative calliphorids, with the greenbottle blowfly (Lucilia s...

Frogs + Maggots = New Weapons in the War on MRSA

Medgadget — Thu, 03 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Drug resistant bacteria, as the Bard would tell us, is a "plague on both your hospitals." As bacterial drug resistance grows, so does the motivation to find new ways to fight this epidemic. The Guardian is reporting that researchers from Manchester University have found great success treating MRSA infected ulcers with...maggots. Maggots of the common bluebottle can fight off the superbug MRSA, researchers from Manchester University announced today. They discovered that when free-range larvae from the insect were applied to the MRSA-infected foot ulcers of 13 diabetic patients, they cleared up the infection in all but one case. Head of the research team Professor Andrew Bolton said he was confident that the treatment could be just as successful in MRSA infections in other parts of the...

Larval Therapy in Wound Management: A Review

Medscape FamilyMedicine Headlines — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:00:00 +0100

Debridement with maggots: Overcoming the yuk factor to promote wound healing. International journal of clinical practice (Source: Medscape FamilyMedicine Headlines)

New Wound Dressing May Lead To Maggot Therapy Without The Maggots

ScienceDaily Headlines — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 02:31:02 +0100

Scientists in the United Kingdom have developed a new wound dressing that could bring the benefits of maggot therapy to patients without putting live Greenbottle fly (blowfly) larvae into non-healing wounds. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Patient acceptability of larval therapy for leg ulcer treatment: a randomised survey to inform the sample size calculation of a randomised trial

BioMed Central — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 06:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: We found no evidence of widespread resistance to the utilisation of larval therapy from patients regardless of the method of larval therapy containment. These methods have the potential to inform sample size calculations where there are concerns of patient acceptability. (Source: BioMed Central)

Maggot Therapy: The Science and Implication for CAM Part II--Maggots Combat Infection

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 06:00:00 +0100

Maggot therapy employs the use of freshly emerged, sterile larvae of the common green-bottle fly, Phaenicia (Lucilia) sericata, and is a form of artificially induced myiasis in a controlled clinical situation. Maggot therapy has the following three core beneficial effects on a wound: debridement, disinfection and enhanced healing. In part II of this review article, we discuss clinical infections and the evidence supporting the potent antibacterial action of maggot secretions. Enhancement of wound healing by maggots is discussed along with the future of this highly successful, often controversial, alternative treatment. (Source: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Maggot Therapy: The Science and Implication for CAM Part I--History and Bacterial Resistance

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 06:00:00 +0100

It is now a universally acknowledged fact that maggot therapy can be used successfully to treat chronic, long-standing, infected wounds, which have previously failed to respond to conventional treatment. Such wounds are typically characterized by the presence of necrotic tissue, underlying infection and poor healing. Maggot therapy employs the use of freshly emerged, sterile larvae of the common green-bottle fly, Phaenicia (Lucilia) sericata, and is a form of artificially induced myiasis in a controlled clinical situation. In this review article, we will discuss the role of maggots and their preparation for clinical use. Maggot therapy has the following three core beneficial effects on a wound: debridement, disinfection and enhanced healing. In part I we explore our current understanding o...

Letter to the editor: Maggot therapy in "lower-extremity hospice" wound care.

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0100

Letter to the editor: Maggot therapy in "lower-extremity hospice" wound care. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2006 Jan-Feb;96(1):82-3; author reply 83 Authors: Steenvoorde P, Jacobi CE, Oskam J PMID: 16415289 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association)

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Maggot therapy in the treatment of wounds of exposed knee prostheses

International Journal of Dermatology — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:27:11 +0100

International Journal of Dermatology Volume 0, Issue 0 (Source: International Journal of Dermatology)

A new clinical trial of the effect of larval therapy.

Journal of Tissue Viability — Thu, 01 Jul 2004 04:00:00 +0100

This article has not been subject to peer review. PMID: 15709358 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Journal of Tissue Viability)

The antimicrobial activity of maggots: in-vivo results.

Journal of Tissue Viability — Thu, 01 Jul 2004 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Steenvoorde P, Jukema GN In the literature maggot therapy is discussed as a promising and potent form of debridement therapy. The number of maggots needed to debride a wound is estimated at 10 per cm2, and more in case of a higher percentage of necrosis or slough. In the authors' hospital, from March 1999 to May 2002, 16 patients were successfully treated with maggot therapy. The average maggot treatment time was 27 days, with an average of seven maggot changes. Most patients were treated for osteomyelitis, with trauma being the leading aetiological factor. In accordance with in-vitro findings, maggot therapy was found to be more effective in gram-positive infected wounds. Gram-negative bacteria are cultured more often after maggot treatment than before it (p=0.001). The oppos...