The Impact of Larvae Therapy on the Debridement of Chronic wounds: A Systematic Review

Background: Chronic wounds effect millions of people globally. It is a debilitating condition that diminishes health related quality of life. Wound bed preparation is necessary for wound healing. In order for some wounds to heal, debridement plays an important role. Larvae therapy is one form of debridement, which will be the main focus of this systematic review.

Aim & Objectives: To explore the literature pertaining to the use of larvae therapy in chronic wounds to determine its impact on debridement.

Selection Criteria: This systematic review included studies in English, randomised control trials, clinical control trials, comparative studies, retrospective studies, prospective studies and systematic reviews. The chronic wounds included in the review were pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and leg ulcers.

Data Collection & Analysis: Studies that fit the inclusion criteria were included in this review. Data analysis were completed in narrative form. The PRISMA statement was used for synthesising the systematic review included in this study.

Main Results: After completing a systematic research of the literature, 14 studies were included in this review. The main primary outcome was rate of debridement of a chronic wound. Secondary outcomes included healing rate, pain, health related quality of life and acceptability of larvae therapy.

Conclusion: The overall results show that larvae debridement therapy is an effective, safe and fast method of debridement in chronic wounds.