Maggots! ‐Lending a helping hand in wound management‐a review

Abstract

Background: Wound care in the developing world is often problematic. From the point of delay in presentation to inability to get fund for debridement and other surgical treatment, patients often carry the wounds for a prolonged period with attendant serious economic loss. A way of solving this would therefore be finding an appropriate, cheap and safe method of attending to these wounds. Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) has found significant use in many countries including the developed countries like U.S.A. and UK . It is safer, cheaper than surgery and enables the patient to have a faster debridement and wound healing.
Methodology: A review of the literature to assess the effectiveness, clinical applications and safety of the Maggot Debridement Therapy was done on the internet using search engines like Google, Pub Med etc. Findings: About 400 articles and abstracts written on maggots and maggot debridement therapy were reviewed. They show different uses to which maggots have been put and the advantages especially in chronic, ischeamic ulcers. Sterile larvae of the common green bottle, Lucilia sericata, have been shown to be a highly cost‐effective alternative to conventional treatments for the debridement and cleansing of all types of chronic wounds.

Conclusion: Maggot Debridement Therapy has found its usefulness in dressing difficult/chronic wounds. It also debrides wound quicker than conservative wound dressings. It has been found to be safe and cheap and enhances wound healing.
Key words: Maggots, helping, wound,
management.