Comparison of Curing Costs between Maggot and Conventional Therapies for Chronic Wound Care

Abstract

The aims of this retrospective descriptive study were to evaluate effectiveness of maggot therapy in wound curing, to analyze the cost of therapy in a Thai district hospital setting and to compare the cost of maggot therapy to that of conventional ones. 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, 80 cases with maggot therapy and 70 cases with conventional therapy) at Bangyai Hospital, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. Data on patients’ general characteristics and costs of therapies were collected from patients’ medical records. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was revealed that maggot therapy resulted in a shorter wound healing period (6.5 days) when compared to that of conventional therapy (14 days). The majority of patients receiving maggot therapy did not have limb amputated (98.75%) while most of those receiving conventional therapy contrastively had limb amputated (7.14%). The median cost of maggot therapy was lower (6,700 Baht per case) when compared to that of conventional ones (16,800 Baht per case). Thus, it is well illustrated that maggot therapy could potentially reduce wound curing cost in a district hospital setting and effectively resulted in shorter curing period and less likely to have limb amputated. Ultimately, maggot therapy should be considered as a rational alternative for chronic wound curing in terms of the economical cost and wound curing effectiveness.