Curing cost of maggot therapy in chronic wounds compared to conventional therapy at Bang Yai Hospital, Nonthaburi province, Thailand

Abstract

This retrospective descriptive study aimed to evaluate effectiveness of maggot therapy in wound curing. Cost analysis of maggot therapy in hospital setting was undertaken. Cost of maggot therapy was also compared to that of conventional therapy. Study populations included all OPD and IPD patients with chronic wounds who underwent either maggot or conventional therapies in January to October 2009 (Total 150 cases, 70 cases with maggot therapy and 80 cases with conventional therapy) at Bang Yai Hospital, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. Data on patients’ general characteristics and costs of therapies were collected from patients’ records. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was revealed that maggot therapy resulted in shorter wound healing time (6.5 days) when compared to that of conventional therapy (14 days). The majority of patients receiving maggot therapy did not have limbed amputated (98.75%) while most of those receiving conventional therapy contrastively had limb amputated (7.14%). The average cost of maggot therapy was lower (6,700 Baht per case) when compared to the conventional ones (16,133.33 Baht per case). It is well illustrated that maggot therapy could potentially reduce wound curing care cost in hospital and effectively resulted in shorter curing period and less likeliness of having limb amputated. Ultimately, maggot therapy should be considered as a rational alternative for wound curing in terms of the economical cost and wound curing effectiveness.