Patients' perceptions and experiences of larval therapy

To gain an insight into patients' perceptions and experiences of larval therapy.

A phenomenological approach was adopted in which six patients who recently had had larval therapy were interviewed using an open, unstructured approach in two hospital settings. Data analysis was loosely based on Colaizzi's structured analysis technique.

Five themes emerged: past experiences of wounds leads to expectations of recurrence and a reduced quality of life; living with a chronic wound led to feelings of hopelessness; the skills and expertise of the nurse made patients feel hopeful; being informed helped patients to choose whether or not to have the therapy; the experience of larval therapy was not as scary as imagined.

The findings suggest that, although initially repellent, larval therapy is acceptable once treatment starts. The nurse-patient relationship was a significant factor in acceptance, along with autonomy and informed choice.