Article: Medical maggots don't speed healing of a wound.(Health Fitness)(Clinical report)

Byline: Eva von Schaper Bloomberg News

Maggots are no better in healing wounds than a commonly used gel, a study suggests.

Nurses placed either the worm-like creatures or a hydrogel and surgical dressing on patients leg ulcers to remove dead, damaged or infected tissue. The maggots cleared away tissue faster, though wounds healed in the same amount of time in both groups, according to the study, published today in the British Medical Journal. Maggots were also more painful for patients.

The results surprised lead study author Nicky Cullum, a wound-care researcher in England, and run counter to claims maggots are superior to conventional wound ...

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