Maggot Debridement Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds in a Military Hospital Setup in Turkey

Vol. 210, No. 2, 2005

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Paper

Maggot Debridement Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds in a Military Hospital Setup in Turkey
Mehmet Tanyuksel^a, Engin Araz^a, Kadir Dundar^b, Gunalp Uzun^b, Tuna Gumus^b, Bulent Alten^c, Fatma Saylam^a, Aysegul Taylan-Ozkan^d, Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu^e

^aDivision of Medical Parasitology and
^bDepartment of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy,
^cEcology Section, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, and
^dParasitology Laboratory, Communicable Disease Research Center, Refik Saydam National Hygiene Institute, Ankara, Turkey;
^eDepartment of Parasitology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

Address of Corresponding Author

Dermatology 2005;210:115-118 (DOI: 10.1159/000082566)

Key Words

Maggot debridement
Chronic wound care
Military hospital
Turkey

Abstract

Background: The medicinal use of maggots for the biological debridement of chronic wounds is increasing around the world, due to its efficacy, safety and simplicity. Thousands of patients have been treated in private and governmental hospitals during the last 10 years. Objective: To examine the efficacy of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) in the debridement of chronic wounds in a militaryhospital. Methods: MDT was applied for 1-9 days to 7 male and 4 female soldiers or their family members (21-72 years old) with chronic wounds. Results: Complete debridement was achieved in 10 out of 11 patients, while in 1 patient the wound could be cleaned only partially. A remarkable reduction in the odor emanating from the wound and notable granulation were observed in all debrided wounds. Increased pain was observed in 1 patient with a venous stasis ulcer. Conclusion: We believe that MDT is a rapid and effective method for the debridement of chronic wounds in a military environment especially in times of war in developing countries.

Author Contacts

Dr. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School
PO Box 12272
IL-91120 Jerusalem (Israel)
Tel. +972 2 675 8093, Fax +972 2 675 7425, E-Mail kostam@cc.huji.ac.il

Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 27

Medline Abstract (ID 15724093)

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