Mary Jones

Wound Cleansing — A Therapy Revisited

Summary The use of blowfly maggots for wound debridement has been apparent in the past, disappeared with the advent of antibiotics but is now making a comeback. An 82 year-old diabetic developed a deep pressure sore on his elbow following amputation of lower left leg complicated by a cardiac arrest. The wound was sloughy and infected with MRSA; cellulitis, wound tenderness and a pyrexia were also present. A 48 hour, single application of sterile maggots completely debrided the wound revealing a previously unsuspected narrow sinus, the likely seat of the infection. Swabs taken after application of maggots were negative for MRSA and both local and systemic signs of infection had now disappeared. The patient reported no unpleasant reactions to the maggots. The wound was subsequently dressed with hydrocolloid and healed uneventfully.