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

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MEDIHONEY comes in a variety of formulations, including gels, wound pastes, calcium alginate dressings, and calcium alginate dressing ropes. Let’s take a closer look at each product’s treatment indications: Although the mechanism(s) by which honey speeds up the healing process have not been determined, there are some findings, which provide possible explanations. One way in which honey may work is through its stimulation of an inflammatory response in leukocytes ( 28, 29, 33), as inflammation is what triggers the cascade of cellular events that give rise to the production of growth factors which control angiogenesis and proliferation of fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Very recently, Tonks et al. discovered a 5.8kDA component of manuka honey which stimulates the production of TNF-α in macrophages via Toll-like receptor 4 ( 34). 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. 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

MEDIHONEY products are so gentle that they are suitable for even the smallest of babies. In a 2007 medical study, infants with wounds not responsive to conventional treatment showed marked improvement after 5 days of treatment with 5-10ml (about 2 teaspoons) of fresh, unprocessed honey applied topically to the wound twice per day. In all infants, the wounds were closed clean sterile after 21 days of the treatment. It should be noted that in one clinical study, two out of 150 children showed allergic reactions to sterilized medical honey. MEDIHONEY bandages are beneficial for all of the phases of the wound healing process. Silver dressings, another type of wound care product, can only be used for the short term due to concerns about toxicity. Medical-honey dressings can be used for long periods of time or changed frequently if needed. YaghoobiR, et al. (2013). Evidence for clinical use of honey in wound healing as ananti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant and anti-viral agent: A review. Regulski, M. A novel wound care dressing for chronic leg ulcerations. Podiatry Management, 2008. November/December: p. 235-246.

Ideally, a person should use medical-grade honey, which is sterilized and therefore less likely to cause immune system reactions. Medical researchers have long proven that the pH of a wound (specifically the surface area) influences all of the processes that occur at the cellular level over the course of healing. Honey is unique among sugars because of its acidity and low pH (3.2 to 4.5). This pH level is low enough to inhibit the growth of a number of dangerous bacterial pathogens: E. coli, Salmonella and P. aeruginosa are just a few examples among others. The low pH level of honey and subsequent capability to regulate the acidity of the wound environment and surrounding tissue is a crucial component in honey's ability to heal. There was overlap between the studies included in the HTA 12 and the SR by Jull et al. 15 as the HTA included an earlier version of the SR by Jull et al. in their analysis. No other SRs included in the CADTH report were included in the HTA. Yes. Due to the osmotic potential there can be an increase in exudate and wound fluid to the wound area. Applying a skin protectant to the surrounding skin will help to prepare and protect the area from excess moisture and fluid.

When it’s time to change the dressing, thoroughly clean the wound with a saline solution. Once you do, repeat the same steps. 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 It was difficult to fully assess the quality of the guideline by Rutterman et al. 18 because the publication of the guideline that was identified for inclusion in the CADTH review was only a summary document. The full guideline publication could not be reviewed as it was published only in German. Therefore, the assessment presented here was based only on the summary. The overall objectives and target populations and users were well described. The specific health questions covered by the guidelines were unclear and it was also difficult to tell whether public consultation had been sought. The methods for the literature search were not fully described beyond saying they were “systematic” and the methods for formulating the evidence-based guidelines were not described. External review and updating procedures were not specified. The single recommendation in the guideline regarding medical honey was based on two studies and the quality of evidence and strength of recommendation was not described. 18Some of the parents in our unit have at first been sceptical about the benefits of honey in wound care. However, the scientific evidence for using conventional wound care products in paediatric oncology patients is non-existent, since no prospective randomized studies have been performed in this particular population and no research has been done on the long-term effects of modern conventional treatments such as silver dressings.