It has been known for centuries that the application of larvae is useful to heal certain wounds by facilitating debridement of necrotic tissue, 1 yet the efficacy of larval therapy continues to be debatable. This study compared the clinical effectiveness of a larval therapy dressing (BioFOAM) with a standard debridement technique (Purilon gel; hydrogel) in terms of time to debridement of venous (VLU) or mixed arterial/ venous (MLU) leg ulcers. Data analyses were conducted on 88 subjects. Sixty-four subjects completed the full study. Of these, 31 of the 32 (96.9%) patients who completed treatment in the larvae arm debrided fully, compared with 11 of the 32 (34.4%) patients who completed the hydrogel arm. In addition, 42 (48%) ulcers fully debrided within the 21-day intervention phase, 31 (67.4%) from the larvae arm (n = 46), and 11 (26.2%) from the hydrogel arm (n = 42), which was statistically significant (p = 0.001) in support of larvae. A statistically significant difference was also observed between treatment arms with regard to numbers of dressing changes during the intervention phase of the study (p < 0.001) in that subjects in the larvae arm required significantly fewer dressing changes(mean = 2.83) than those in the hydrogel arm (mean = 5.40). There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical condition of the wound bed and surrounding skin by intervention. Subjects in the larvae arm experienced more ulcer-related pain or discomfort than subjects in the hydrogel arm (p < 0.001). This study provided good evidence to show that larval therapy, in the form of a BioFOAM dressing, debrided VLU and MLU considerably more quickly than a hydrogel, although the possibility of resloughing should be closely monitored.

Aim: This observational study evaluated the use of a novel, ultraportable, mechanically powered topical negative pressure device in promoting healing in chronic wounds, including venous and mixed etiology leg ulcers and neuropathic foot ulcers. Materials and Methods: Evaluable patients (n = 37) received treatment with the SNaP Ò Wound Care System for up to 6 weeks. The primary objective was percentage change in wound size, with secondary objectives of clinical assessment of wound parameters, ease of use, and impact on quality of life. Results: A 42.64% mean percentage decrease in wound area was observed, with an overall decrease for each wound etiology subgroup. Increased granulation tissue, decreased exudate levels, and decreased wound pain were reported. Quality-of-life scores increased overall, and the device was easy to use, comfortable, portable, and inconspicuous.