NCT02294175

Brief Summary

This is a prospective study of Veterans with chronic lower extremity or diabetic foot ulcers who will be randomized to either a Larval Debridement Therapy group (Biobags every 4 days x 2 applications) or a Sharp Debridement Therapy group (standard or control weekly x 2) during an 8 day study period.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
45

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2015

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

2 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

November 17, 2014

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

November 19, 2014

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2015

Completed
2.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2017

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 24, 2018

Completed
2 years until next milestone

Results Posted

Study results publicly available

April 7, 2020

Completed
Last Updated

April 7, 2020

Status Verified

March 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

2.9 years

First QC Date

November 17, 2014

Results QC Date

November 26, 2019

Last Update Submit

March 24, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

larvadebridementlower extremity or diabetic foot ulcerbiofilminfectionchronic wound

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Total Bacteria Colony Forming Units (CFUs; Natural-log Transformed), With Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) Plating

    Differences in total bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) between LDT and SDT arms at Day 0, with Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) plating. Raw outcomes were natural-log transformed due to skewed distribution. Higher scores correspond to a greater number of bacterial CFUs (i.e., worse outcome).

    Day 0 (Baseline), Day 4, Day 8

  • Total Bacteria Colony Forming Units (CFUs; Natural-log Transformed), With MacConkey Agar Plating

    Differences in total bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) between LDT and SDT arms at Day 0, with MacConkey Agar plating. Raw outcomes were natural-log transformed due to skewed distribution. Higher scores correspond to a greater number of bacterial CFUs (i.e., worse outcome).

    Day 0 (Baseline), Day 4, Day 8

  • Total Bacteria Colony Forming Units (CFUs; Natural-log Transformed),With Phenylethyl Alcohol (PEA) Plating

    Differences in total bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) between LDT and SDT arms at Day 0, with Phenylethyl Alcohol (PEA) plating. Raw outcomes were natural-log transformed due to skewed distribution. Higher scores correspond to a greater number of bacterial CFUs (i.e., worse outcome).

    Day 0 (Baseline), Day 4, Day 8

Secondary Outcomes (7)

  • Reviewer Assessment of Visible Wound Improvement

    Day 8

  • Inflammatory Biomarker MMP-9

    Day 0 (Baseline), Day 4, Day 8

  • Inflammatory Biomarker IL6

    Day 0 (Baseline), Day 4, Day 8

  • Satisfaction With Debridement: Overall Satisfaction With Method, Day 8

    Day 8

  • Satisfaction: Aesthetic Unpleasantness of Debridement, Day 8

    Day 8

  • +2 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Larval Debridement Therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Larval debridement therapy intervention (Biobags) filled with sterile green bottle fly maggots (larvae) placed in open, chronic lower extremity or diabetic foot ulcer once every 4 days for total of 2 applications over the 8 day study period.

Device: Larval Debridement Therapy

Sharp Debridement Therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Bedside sharp debridement therapy as a comparator performed by wound care clinician once every 7 days in a chronic lower extremity or diabetic foot ulcer for a total of 2 sharp debridements over the 8 day study period.

Procedure: Bedside Sharp Debridement

Interventions

small sterile mesh bags containing live maggots placed into an open chronic wound to remove necrotic tissue and bacterial biofilm

Also known as: LDT, Maggot Debridement, MDT, Maggots, Medicinal Maggots, Larvae, Biobags
Larval Debridement Therapy

The use of a sharp clinical instrument (currette, scalpel, scissors, forceps) by a qualified clinician to remove necrotic tissue and bacterial biofilm from an open chronic wound

Also known as: Sharp debridement, Sharps
Sharp Debridement Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

Age21 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Veterans over 21 years of age
  • with chronic lower extremity or diabetic foot ulcers (wound duration over 8 weeks)
  • who at the clinician's judgment requires wound debridement (25% or more of wound bed covered with non-viable tissue)
  • wound size 1.5 cm (roughly the size of a quarter) or larger in diameter

You may not qualify if:

  • Cognitive impairment that would interfere with patient signing own Informed Consent
  • Veterans on active anticoagulant therapy with most recent (within last week) PT/INR (international normalized ratio of prothrombin time) \> 3.0, or other significant bleeding risk
  • Active immune suppression just prior to or during study (on systemic corticosteroids\* within 7 days prior, or chemotherapy for cancer or RA treatment within 4 weeks prior to study, or with diagnosis of HIV/AIDS) - \*Nasal steroid sprays will not be excluded
  • Other possible reasons participants could be removed from this study include: transfers to other non-VA facilities, participant is unable to tolerate tissue sampling even with local anesthesia, and/or inability to comply with scheduled research visits. Furthermore, if the participant has significant wound healing so that sampling is not possible after the initial sampling, they will be removed from the study.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (2)

North Florida Regional Medical Center

Gainesville, Florida, 32605, United States

Location

North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System

Gainesville, Florida, 32608, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Sen CK, Roy S, Mathew-Steiner SS, Gordillo GM. Biofilm Management in Wound Care. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2021 Aug 1;148(2):275e-288e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000008142.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Diabetic FootBacterial InfectionsInfections

Interventions

Maggot Debridement Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diabetic AngiopathiesVascular DiseasesCardiovascular DiseasesFoot UlcerLeg UlcerSkin UlcerSkin DiseasesSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesDiabetes ComplicationsDiabetes MellitusEndocrine System DiseasesDiabetic NeuropathiesBacterial Infections and Mycoses

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Biological TherapyTherapeutics

Limitations and Caveats

This study was underpowered to observe significant difference between SDT and LDT groups. Aversion to LDT we anticipated in subjects, caregivers, and clinicians were not encountered. Almost all subjects in SDT group elected to try LDT after study.

Results Point of Contact

Title
Dr. Linda Cowan
Organization
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and Clinics

Study Officials

  • Linda J Cowan, PhD

    North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

PI is Sponsor Employee
No
Restrictive Agreement
No

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

November 17, 2014

First Posted

November 19, 2014

Study Start

January 1, 2015

Primary Completion

December 1, 2017

Study Completion

March 24, 2018

Last Updated

April 7, 2020

Results First Posted

April 7, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-03

Locations