Indications, contraindications, interactions, and side-effects of maggot therapy

Abstract

Maggot therapy is not regulated in most countries, but in those countries in which it is regulated, indications authorised by regulating bodies are the law of the land. Irrespective of particular jurisdictional limitations, this chapter describes when maggot therapy can be used, when it can't be used, potential adverse events, and when treatment can proceed with caution. The chapter also examines how medicinal maggots interact with concomitant treatments such as systemic antibiotics, anaesthetics and narcotics, or hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Evidence and expert advice suggest that maggot therapy is a safe and widely applicable wound care modality with few side-effects, most of which can be avoided or successfully managed.