The All Wales Tissue Viability Nurse Forum (AWTVNF) has recently published new guidance on the appropriate use of larval debridement therapy and the management of patients receiving this therapy.
There are, at present, no national guidelines available for the appropriate use of larval debridement therapy and the management of patients receiving this therapy. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2001) states that, to date, there is no robust evidence to support any particular method of debridement and recommends that health professionals consider biosurgical techniques (sterile maggots) as one method of debridement that may also reduce pain and be acceptable to patients.
The purpose of these new guidelines is to provide knowledge for the appropriate use of larval debridement therapy and the management of patients receiving this therapy.
These guidelines aim to ensure the appropriate use of larval therapy within all Welsh NHS Trusts and Health Boards. These organisations are required to provide care services within commissioned services which meet these requirements, and to provide guidance for healthcare professionals to establish how suitable larval treatment is for each individual patient. It is suggested that this guidance should form part of tissue viability and infection prevention protocols.The guidance provided by this document is based on expert consensus which, along with audit, has been suggested as a positive method of directing care.
To find out more about the All Wales Tissue Viability Nurse Forum, click here
These guidelines have been supported by Biomonde.
