Medical

medical maggots

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medical maggots

Any of several species (e.g., Lucilia sericata, the common green bottle fly, and Protophormia terraenovae) of larvae (maggots) that feed on necrotic tissue, the feeding secretions of which counter infection by Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae and are more effective in healing wounds than mechanical debridement and/or chemical cleansing of wounds.

Mechanisms of action
Debridement of necrotic tissue, disinfection; possibly, improved wound healing.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive
Medical maggots are supplied in sterile containers and have undergone a rigorous disinfection and sterilization procedure prior to medical usage (Paul et al., 2009).
"We were wrapping it in seaweed, there was talk of using medical maggots, and then one day the doctor just looked at the wound and his face went pale.
Ater 24 hours of exposure to medical maggots, the levels of both bacteria were 1.7 to 3.3 CFUs per explant, which represents approximately 5-log reduction of total bacteria.
larvae or medical maggots may be purchased in the USA (more sources are available in the European market).
The "medical maggots" are applied directly to wounds such as ulcers and burns, which are otherwise difficult to heal.
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