By Ron Sherman MD, MSC, DTM&H
As far back as 1930, clinicians and researchers had a pretty good understanding of what “the right kind of maggots” could do for a wound. Those maggots are now known generically as “medicinal maggots” or “medical grade maggots.” Largely as the result of careful observations by William Baer (Chief, Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore) and others, we now describe the beneficial effects of medicinal maggots as being: 1) debridement; 2) disinfection; and 3) growth promotion. What is the evidence for these effects, and why is it that the only brand of medicinal maggots cleared by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing in the US (Medical Maggots™ by Monarch Labs, Irvine, CA) lists only debridement among its indications?