Everything Nurses >> Nursing Technology >> sterile maggots/leeches
sterile maggots/leeches
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Posted 2 months ago Just a quick question for everyone. How in the world do they get "sterile" maggots and leeches. Seems like the autoclave would be kind of rough on the little buggers.......................... |
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| Posted 2 months ago They are grown in sterile conditions :) |
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| Posted 2 months ago But does not every living thing have its own flora and dont they poop too? Wouldnt the sterile container then be contaminated? I just thought Id try to lighten things up a bit as its getting pretty tense around here.......... |
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| Posted 2 months ago They are not sterile... They are aseptic.... no PATHOGENS...We use leeches quite often in finger replant cases... as for maggots.. I have not seen those used in a hospital setting... BUT I was taught that in austere field medical conditions.. with no hope of medevac.. maggots are to be left in the wound as they only consume necrotic tissue and lessen the chance of gangrene... But again THAT bit of info is many years old, |
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| Posted 2 months ago A little over a decade ago, leaches were also used in breast flaps (reconstruction post mastectomy). There was problems with edema in some of these flaps. The edema would constrict blood flow, and possibly cause flap failure/necrosis. The leaches would suck out the blood and also inject a blood thinner. The Theory is this reduces the edema and increases blood flow to the tissue. I don't know if they are still used, as I don't work in that area any more. My extensive military knowledge is not limited to just being in line at the commissary, I also have extensive military knowledge of the 'Class Six'. |
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| Posted 2 months ago They are used in any free or pedicle flap as the capillary drainage to the veins has to be reestablished over time.. the leeeches remove the blood that would normally be moved through the capillaries , Leeches are used to remove the edema this inturruption of the capllary system causes. And it is not used on ALL but added after the fact if tissue engorment in noted... usullay determined by pin pricks. |
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| Posted 2 months ago There was problems with edema in some of these flaps; I'm quoting myself, sorry if you misunderstood. Yes, some not all. My extensive military knowledge is not limited to just being in line at the commissary, I also have extensive military knowledge of the 'Class Six'. |
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| Posted 2 months ago I've used both maggots and leeches working on a burn and would care unit. Very interesting stuff. Leeches start out small, place them on the wound in several places a distance apart wrap them up a little so they don't migrate on the bed. Meaning found sucking on an undamaged part of the body, believe me the patient freaks! Come back in 2-3 hours and they are three to four times their original size, fat and engorged. Then in a poetic move you remove them from the patient and sometimes you save them for another day but usually you flush them. Fun!
Maggots I have used in woulds that are very necrotic, a lot of times you see them used in palstics as they eat only dead flesh so there is no damage to good tissue and much less of a scar. Thse too come pre-packages,are places on or in a deep wound and wrapped up for a few hours maybe a couple of days. Then they are removed with tweezers and flushed. It is amazing to see clean pink flesh where ther was only black necrotic tissue . No pain but in both cases maggots and leeches patients have to get used to a sensation when they get near an innervated area. Ancient medicine that works great today I wonder how many other cures are out there we have just forgotten about. RNprogressive |
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| Posted 2 months ago My guess is that we could have learned a lot from Native Americans in terms of holistic healing but we were too busy trying to exterminate them since we "discovered" this country. |
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| Posted 2 months ago I know a classmate that did a research project on the use of sterile maggot therapy, and I remember learning that in some facilities they come packaged in a mesh like material but they are unable to eat through the membrane. They are still able to digest the dead tissues through the pack but this way none of the little buggars are left behind.
-Angela--'--,--{@ |
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| Posted 2 months ago On a recent episode of the television show "The Doctors" they did a segment on the use of maggots in medicine. They interviewed a woman who was a diabetic and was told that she would have to lose her foot. She found someone who uses maggot therapy, as they called it, and today, she still has her foot. It truly was amazing. I don't remember what date the episode was on but perhaps their website might have some information on it if anyone is interested in watching it. |
