Improved Medihoney Gel Wound and & Burn Dressing from Derma Sciences, 0.5 oz,

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Honey is one of the few nutritive substances that does not spoil. In fact, still-edible honey has been discovered in 2,000-year-old sealed pots safely nestled within the final resting places of Egyptian pharaohs. There is a growing body of research evidence that supports the use of medical-grade honey as a top choice in advanced wound care treatment options. Healthcare professionals are increasingly using this medicinal substance in their practice.

Honey is a sugary, syrupy substance that has been shown to have bioactive components that can help heal wounds.

During the healing process, due to autolytic debridement, it is common for non-viable tissue to be removed from the wound resulting in an initial increase in wound size. Although an initial increase in wound size may be attributed to the normal removal of non-viable tissue, consult a healthcare professional if the wound continues to grow larger after the first few dressing changes. MEDIHONEY looks similar in appearance and texture to traditional store-bought honey, but it’s not a sweetener. Instead, it provides an all-natural way to treat open wounds, preventing gangrene and infection. Often, wounds that have progressed carry a malodorous smell. MEDIHONEY has also been shown to decrease odors that may accompany wounds.

One guideline was identified that was created by Rutterman et al. for the German Society for Wound Healing and Wound treatment in 2013. 18 The group undertook a systematic search of the literature to identify relevant RCTs and assessed these using the GRADE criteria. In cases where there was no relevant published literature to support a recommendation that the guideline group wished to make, the members of the development group reached consensus to produce good clinical practice recommendations. 18 The authors of HTA from Healthcare Improvement Scotland 12 did not create their own recommendations but summarized existing guidelines that were identified regarding the use of honey for the treatment of infected wounds. Many of the studies included in these SRs did not report on the type of honey that was used. For those that did report, the honey ranged from fresh, unaltered honey to irradiated medical grade honey (e.g., MediHoney). This makes it difficult to generalize the results to the Canadian context and to the types of medical grade honey that are available for use by Canadian practitioners. Further research, including properly blinded RCTs, is likely necessary to help to support the use of honey for wounds as a part of standard practice.The population (patients, public, etc.) to whom the guideline is meant to apply is specifically described.

Robson, V., Dodd, S and Thomas, S. Standardized antibacterial honey (MediHoney®) with standard therapy in wound care: randomized clinical trial. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2009: p. 565-575. There has been a report of a Silver-coated dressing which caused raised liver enzymes and an argyria-like syndrome in an adolescent burn patient ( 43). Another common treatment is povidone iodine, which has the advantage of antiseptic properties and is well suited for skin disinfection prior to invasive procedures. However, the antiseptic activity of iodine products is hampered by interactions with the protein content of the wound exudate and severe adverse effects of systemic absorption of iodine on thyroid function must be considered in infants and toddlers as well as in adult patients with latent hyperthyreosis.Healthcare professionals have observed the reduction of symptoms of inflammation when raw, medical-grade honey is applied to wounds. This is thought to be a result of the large amounts of antioxidant compounds found in raw honey, like flavonoids and other polyphenols. Honey has also shown to be helpful in eliminating wound fluids (known as exudate) which may play a role in reducing inflammation. This also helps reduce pain and discomfort, especially during wound dressing changes. Kateel et al. 14 described their literature search as “exhaustive” but listed a limited number of key words that were searched in the literature. The authors also did not specify how study selection and data extraction were performed. 14 There was no list of excluded studies provided in three SRs. 13 , 14 , 16 The HTA 12 and four of the five SRs 13 , 15 – 17 reported comprehensive literature search strategies and study selection and data extraction was performed in 12 , 13 , 15 , 16 , 17 Kateelet al, 14 did not specify how their literature search or selection and extraction were performed. The included SRs reported primary study and patient characteristics, with the exception of Vandamme et al. 17 who did not report patient characteristics. 17 Due to the dressing’s low pH, some patients may notice a slight transient stinging. If stinging persists and cannot be managed with an analgesic, remove dressing, cleanse area, and discontinue the use of MediHoney dressing. People who live with poorly healing wounds tend to spend most of their time at home, due to pain and mobility issues. As such, these folks tend to be at risk for social isolation. Unpleasant wound odor can add insult to injury by embarrassing the patient and discouraging visitors. For the most part, wound odor is the result of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria living within the necrotic (or rotten) wound tissue. The debridement properties of MEDIHONEY work to reduce the necrotic tissue In one randomized controlled trial, the mean healing time of wounds treated with MediHoney dressings was significantly faster than the mean healing time of wounds treated with conventional dressings. 4