Maggot Therapy - Mechanisms of Action

Mechanisms of Action

The maggots have one principal action reported in the medical literature:

• debride wounds by dissolving necrotic, infected tissue. as well as vital tissue when dose is too high or time of treatment is not appropriate

Disinfection of the wound by killing bacteria and healing could not be proved by the largest clinical study available.

Maggot therapy has been shown to accelerate debridement of necrotic wounds. In about 1/3 of all patients pain is increased.

Maggot therapy is further compatible with other wound care therapies such as antibiotics, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), skin grafting and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. While maggot therapy can not be used simultaneously with NPWT, it can be used prior to NPWT to debride a wound so that it can be later closed with NPWT. Similarly, while maggot therapy can not be used simultaneously with skin grafting, it can be used prior to skin grafting to debride a wound so that it can be later closed with skin grafting.