Evidenced-Based Research on Maggot Debridement Therapy

Running head: WOUND HEALING
Evidenced-Based Research on Maggot Debridement Therapy
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WOUND HEALING
Evidenced-Based Research on Maggot Debridement Therapy
Overview of the Literature
Injuries occur in daily life activities due to accidents and other unavoidable
situations. Wound management is one of the responsibilities of nurses in their
practices. Maggot debridement therapy was used applied long time ago. It was
introduced during the American Civil War. During the war, some soldiers were
observed with some chronic wounds (Holly & Poletick, 2014). The wounds contained
a lot of maggots inside them because the soldiers were not skilled in wound
management. The literature review is based on evidenced-based practices (Perrin,
2011). This therapy involves the use of live maggots to help in the cleaning of the
damaged tissues. The debrided wound will heal faster because some cells and tissues
recuperate. This technique is majorly used a therapeutic wound healing model that is
based on the safety of the injured tissues and the efficacy of the maggot to clean the
wounded area.
Diabetes is one of the medical conditions that have affected most of the people
in the contemporary society. The increase in the number of diabetic patients is
attributed to changes in lifestyle. People in the world. The number of diabetic patients
admitted to Australian hospitals has increased drastically. Diabetic patients have
higher risks of developing chronic wounds. Type II diabetes is much related to
wounds that fail or take longer time to heal (Liang et al, 2013). Elderly people have
been the leading victims in this type of nutritional disorder. The increase in the
number of diabetic patients has increased the cost of healthcare provision in Australia.
This is because the number of facilities are scare as compared to the needs of the

WOUND HEALING
patients. The treatment of the diabetic foot ulcer is difficult to achieve (Chen et al
2013). Maggot therapy has become an alternative technique in the treatment of the
chronic and severe wounds, therefore, minimizing the number amputations done on
the patients with non-healing chronic wounds.
Prevalence of the diabetic foot ulcer
Diabetes mellitus is a nutritional disorder that has increased in prevalence due
to the change in people’s lifestyle. Elderly people are affected by this types of wounds
because Type II diabetes occurs when the hepatocytes secrete insulin but body cells
does not respond to their effects. The inability of the body to control the glucose level
is one increases the susceptibility to contracting infections and further complications.
A large number of patients with diabetes mellitus undergo amputation of the lower
limb (Spruce & White 2015). Research reviews have shown a higher prevalence of
foot ulcer among the patients with diabetes mellitus. From the literature, it is
identified that more than 25 percent of patients with diabetes have chronic wound
ulcer. Of these patients, 10 percent are amputated on their lower leg to avoid
infiltration of the wound to other vital organs of the body.
Causes of diabetic foot Ulcers
Diabetes is one manifest itself with some condition related to it. Some of the
conditions that cause diabetes are the direct causes of diabetic foot ulcers. First,
peripheral neuropathy is one of the leading factors that cause diabetic foot ulcers on
the patients. Peripheral neuropathy lead to impaired sensation on the foot, therefore,
any trauma or injury on the foot of the patient may lead to severe problems. This
dysfunction results to failure of the central nervous system to coordinate and respond

WOUND HEALING
to pain receptors on the foot. This condition may also lead to muscle atrophy and
subsequent deformities (Chen et al 2013). Diabetic angiopathy is another condition
that causes foot ulcers. This is because calcium accumulates on the arteries and blood
capillaries. The pathological calcification may result to an impaired circulation,
therefore, the affecting the normal healing of the wound. Effective blood supply is
one of the factors that promote wound healing, therefore, its impairment compromise
with wound healing process.
Complications of Diabetic Foot Ulcer and Efficacy of the Therapy
The complications caused by the diabetic foot ulcer to the patient depend on the stage
of the disorder. Age is also a factor that determines the severity of the complications
on the diabetic individual. One of the complications of the diabetic foot ulcer is
denervation of the lower limb due to neuropathies and loss of coordination. The
sensation is impaired, therefore, normal coordination and response of the central
nervous system are affected (Jemec, & Zarchi, 2012). The loss of sensation will lead
to further injuries because the patient will not be able to respond to stimuli. Diabetic
foot ulcer also affects other health tissues because the injured ones are fed on my
pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, therefore promoting their growth and
multiplication. The muscle atrophy caused by the diabetic foot ulcer lead to various
problems. These complications include deformities and inability to maintain body
balance.
The complications explained above contribute to the success of the application
of this technique in wound healing and fibrinolysis after an injury. Maggot
debridement therapy is one of the ancient therapeutic technique used in the healing of