Insurance companies may soon cover maggot therapy tells that the ancient Romans would put maggots (larvae) on infected wounds. Wiki tells that it works in three ways: a) by eating or dissolving only necrotic, infected tissue, b) disinfecting the wound by killing bacteria, and c) stimulating wound healing. Maggots were used routinely in medicine until the mid-40s when the first antibiotics became available. We know today that maggot secretions contain enzymes exhibiting antimicrobial activity.
Today there are antibiotic-resistant bacteria and sometimes wounds too large for traditional dressings. For such situations, some docs are returning to the old cure. Maggots destroy a wide range of bacteria, including MSRA group A and B.
Maggots make comeback in medicine tells that green bottle fly larvae are used which only eat dead tissue. The brand name is Medical Maggots, (do you think they could use some marketing assistance?) sold by Monarch Labs in Irvine, CA. The company's website explains that the larvae are produced daily from fresh eggs and must be used within 24 hours of delivery.
The larvae are deposited within a cage-like dressing over the womb or a membrane pack. The larvae must have oxygen to live and must be removed in about two days as they become satiated and attempt to leave the wound. Recall the life cycle is eggs, larva, pupa, adult blow fly.
Eeech. Sounds creepy doesn't it? Nonetheless, it would be better to have something contained and nibbling on your flesh than taking some of today's new antibiotics that have some horrific adverse drug reactions.
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