Abstract
Background: It is estimated that 2% of the population in developing countries suffer from a chronic wound, making it a hidden phenomenon that is increasing as populations age. The ease of access to maggot therapy has made it increasingly attractive for implementation. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of maggot therapy as compared to hydrogel dressings in the healing of chronic wounds. Methods: An electronic literature search until October 2019 was performed using Medline, Embase, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The eligibility criteria were chronic wound patients with an intervention that involved a comparison of any maggot species with hydrogel dressings. Results: The full text of five studies, involving 580 patients with chronic wounds, was retrieved. Four studies used the Lucilia sericata species. The maggot therapy facilitated faster and more effective debridement of non-viable tissue. It enabled faster development of granulation tissue and increased reduction in the wound surface area compared to hydrogel dressings. Maggot therapy had no effect on disinfection or complete healing rate for the wound. Conclusion: Maggot therapy should be considered for faster wound debridement, granulation tissue development, and wound surface area reduction as well as in surgical contraindications. This review can be used as a guide to assist clinicians in identifying patients who may benefit from maggot therapy.
Highlights
It is estimated that 1–2% of the population in developing countries experience a chronic wound during their lifetime [1], making it a silent epidemic
The criteria for the eligibility of studies were patients with chronic wounds and an intervention involving any species of maggot, which was compared with the use of hydrogel dressings
The clinical outcomes were measured by the effects of the maggot therapy (MT) on the debridement of non-viable tissue, disinfection of bacterial growth, growth of granulation tissue, reduction in wound surface area, complete healing, adverse events, and the duration of the healing process
Summary
It is estimated that 1–2% of the population in developing countries experience a chronic wound during their lifetime [1], making it a silent epidemic. The typical wound healing process is influenced by extrinsic and intrinsic factors [5], which can be systemic or local [6]. It is estimated that 2% of the population in developing countries suffer from a chronic wound, making it a hidden phenomenon that is increasing as populations age. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of maggot therapy as compared to hydrogel dressings in the healing of chronic wounds. The eligibility criteria were chronic wound patients with an intervention that involved a comparison of any maggot species with hydrogel dressings. The maggot therapy facilitated faster and more effective debridement of non-viable tissue It enabled faster development of granulation tissue and increased reduction in the wound surface area compared to hydrogel dressings
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