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Originally posted by jerico65
Maggot treatment.
You expose the wound to flies. I can't remember for how long (an hour?).
You do this for a few days until you see that there are maggots in the wound. Then you cover the wound with a dressing. Check at least daily.
If the patient complains of pain, or the blood starts to run bright red and fresh, remove the maggots, clean the wound, and dress it again.
Originally posted by junglejake
The maggot treatment is actually becoming more popular in the western world. Maggots will only eat dead flesh, so when they're placed in the wound, they will eat only the gangrene and leave the living tissue alone.
Repulsive, sure, but surprisingly more precise than cutting away the necrotic flesh and surrounding flesh.
Another treatment is a hyperbaric chamber, forcing oxygen into the cells, preventing the growth of anaerobic bacteria. That is usually done after the necrotic tissue it cut away, though, thereby, at best, still causing muscle loss in the effected area.
Originally posted by SDiazIVC
Originally posted by junglejake
The maggot treatment is actually becoming more popular in the western world. Maggots will only eat dead flesh, so when they're placed in the wound, they will eat only the gangrene and leave the living tissue alone.
Repulsive, sure, but surprisingly more precise than cutting away the necrotic flesh and surrounding flesh.
Another treatment is a hyperbaric chamber, forcing oxygen into the cells, preventing the growth of anaerobic bacteria. That is usually done after the necrotic tissue it cut away, though, thereby, at best, still causing muscle loss in the effected area.
This is very true. In the hospital I work at we use one of two options only.. Hyperbaric Chamber, or amputation. Those options are based on how long you've had gangrene. Hyperbaric is also very expensive and takes a very long time to actually fully heal wounds compared to amputations.
-SD