Maggots anyone?

[Hardbopjazz]

UK Medics to Prescribe Maggots as Wound Cleansers

2 hours, 32 minutes ago Add Health - Reuters to My Yahoo!

LONDON (Reuters) - British doctors will be able to prescribe maggots to NHS patients with infected wounds from Friday onwards, a hospital official said.

He said the National Health Service had realized maggots were a cheaper and more beneficial way of treating wounds than using conventional medicine.

Patients would be able to treat themselves at home and avoid the possibility of picking up a hospital infection.

Maggots have been used for centuries to rid wounds of decaying flesh, but after the discovery of antibiotics their use went into decline.

"People didn't like the thought of creepy-crawlies on their skin," said Tony Fowler, customer services manager at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, Wales.

"But now there is a renewed interest because of the problems caused by the over-use of antibiotics, and the NHS has seen the cost-effectiveness of maggots."

Research at the Princess of Wales Hospital confirmed that placing sterile maggots on wounds could make them heal faster than conventional medicine.

The creatures devour dead, infected tissue and kill off bacteria that could block the healing process without damaging the surrounding tissue, since they cannot ingest healthy flesh.

Previously, patients could obtain sterile maggots from certain hospitals and research centers.

[A Lark Ascending]

Served with vinegar and a dash of Worcester Sauce these are delicacies in the East End.

[Dr. Rat]

Disgusting as maggots are, I hear from a doctor friend they are actually the very best way to get rid of putrified flesh.

There is also a kind of beetle they use to clean bones for display. Apparently they are the very best at what they do, too.

Insects aren't very smart (or pleasant), but they're persistent & thorough.

--eric

[Chrome]

I also understand (seriously) leeches are again being used in some medical contexts.

[Dr. Rat]

I also understand (seriously) leeches are again being used in some medical contexts.

Yes, I've heard this, but I haven't heard what they're being used for. Anyone know?

--eric

[Dr. Rat]

Found this at ABC

The three-jawed creatures have long had a role in medicine, dating to at least as far back as 1500 B.C. when ancient wall art shows Egyptians applying the worms to patients for bloodletting. In the 1800s, leeches became a widespread treatment preferred by doctors throughout the United States and Europe.

But by the late 19th century, modern medicine mostly abandoned the worm in favor of less grotesque pharmacology.

Now the leech appears to be making a comeback.

In a recent study published in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, Andreas Michalsen of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, describes how placing four to six leeches on an aching knee suffering from osteoarthritis eased pain better than the leading topical anti-inflammatory treatment.

The process involved 70 minutes of sucking (about the time it takes a leech to fill its belly) on a daily basis for up to 90 days. Those who submitted their knees to the worms reported they felt more relief for the first seven days than those who applied the topical cream twice a day. Michalsen says those who underwent the therapy for 90 days also felt relief, but since there were fewer patients who were treated this long, the results weren't statistically significant.

"The pain relief was still evident," Michalsen said, adding that most of the patients were not put off by the leech treatment, but actually found it "fascinating."

While the findings were promising, the author and others admit that the leeches' benefits aren't yet proven.

There's more: Leech story

[maren]

Increased life expectancy is associated with aging populations in the developed countries, and we can expect an increased incidence of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and cancers. A priority for medical research is to reduce such morbidity. Leeches have been demonstrated to be a useful source of drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases, as they have evolved highly specific mechanisms to feed on their hosts by blocking blood coagulation. Powerful molecules acting at different points in the coagulation cascade or in the inhibition of platelet aggregation have been purified from these animals. Moreover, clinical trials confirm their potential to treat cardiovascular diseases.

from: Salzet M. Anticoagulants and inhibitors of platelet aggregation derived from leeches. FEBS Letters* 2001; 492: 187-192.

(*Journal of the Federation of European Biological Societies)

If you know anyone taking a drug called "hirudin" -- that's from leeches.

Edited February 20, 2004 by maren

[A Lark Ascending]

Man being bled with leeches:

[connoisseur series500]

Eventually, we'll return back to periodic bleedings to improve our health.

I'd imagine letting loose some maggots might lead to unbearable itching/tickling. Hey, I'm game to try it!

[Dr. Rat]

Eventually, we'll return back to periodic bleedings to improve our health.

I'd imagine letting loose some maggots might lead to unbearable itching/tickling. Hey, I'm game to try it!

Got any putrid flesh on you? They won't eat the good stuff, you know.

--eric

[JSngry]

Where's the Funkadelic scan?

[couw]

here you are

[Jazzdog]

here you are

"I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe, and I was not impressed"!

[A Lark Ascending]