The biological debridement of bedsore with the larvae of Lucilia sericata: a case report

Bedsores are caused by decreased tissue perfusion due to prolonged pressure on the skin and represent one of the problems of immobilized patients, including hospitalized ones. This study reports the successful treatment of a patient with bedsore wounds using the larvae of the fly Lucilia sericata. The study focused on a 64-year-old man residing in Qom (a city in central Iran), who was hospitalized for 45 days at Qom Shahid Beheshti Hospital in November 2019 because of cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He had a pressure ulcer of about 9.5 cm in diameter on the skin overlying the sacrum. After showing resistance to honey dressing and conventional antibiotic treatments, maggot therapy was recommended. This procedure was done by releasing the larvae of L. sericata 12 times every three days. The removal of necrotic tissues and the appearance of the granulated tissues were recorded using a ruler as an indicator of healing. After 12 sessions of larval treatment, the wound surface considerably reduced and was finally healed. Thus, it can be argued that maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is an effective treatment for bedsores and can be recommended to physicians as an adjuvant treatment for complex and resistant ulcers.