When time does not heal all wounds—the use of medical grade honey in wound healing: a case series

Abstract

Objective: Hard-to-heal wounds can be caused by persistent infections or an excess of inflammatory cytokines, proteases and oxidants, and can severely impact the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Due to the paucity of effective treatments and increased resistance to antibiotics, new and improved therapies are required to resolve infections and to simultaneously enhance the healing trajectory. Medical grade honey (MGH) may be a novel and effective treatment approach. Methods: In this case series, we have described six cases of hard-to-heal wounds, and discussed the effects of MGH on infection, wound healing and factors influencing patient QoL (pain, odour and exudate). In all cases, the wounds had persisted for a long period, and previous treatments had been ineffective. Most of the patients had comorbidities, and the majority of the wounds were contaminated with (multiresistant) bacteria, both of which contributed to non-healing. All wounds were treated with L-Mesitran (MGH-based wound care products, Triticum Exploitatie BV, the Netherlands) either as monotherapy or as a complementary therapy. Results: Hard-to-heal wounds started healing, infection was controlled and QoL was strongly improved (malodour, exudate levels and pain swiftly decreased) after the application of the MGH. All wounds healed relatively quickly, considering the severity of the wounds and general health of the patients. Conclusion: In this study, MGH was a useful alternative or complementary therapy to antibiotics and expedited the healing of hard-to-heal wounds.

Use of Medical-Grade Honey to Treat Clinically Infected Heel Pressure Ulcers in High-Risk Patients: A Prospective Case Series

“…Previous treatments with different antiseptic or antibiotic products were without adequate response. Local clinical signs of infection gradually decreased and completely resolved within a time range from 1–4 weeks, in concordance with other studies [ 30 , 31 , 32 ]. In this study, wound swabs and microbial culturing were not taken and performed since the diagnosis was made by clinical assessment of different signs of local infection, such as necrosis, pain, malodor, erythema, warmth, edema, exudate, and delayed healing.…”

“…We did not observe any adverse effects, and with the quick recession of local signs of infection and the positive healing response, the wound-dressing changes were extended, reducing in this way the total cost of the therapeutic protocol. Several studies proved the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of MGH against common wound microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA ), Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Escherichia coli , even in cases where antibiotics were ineffective [ 18 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Recent reviews provide an extensive list of microorganisms with susceptibility to the antimicrobial activity of MGH [ 19 , 35 ].…”

Medical-Grade Honey Enhances the Healing of Caesarean Section Wounds and Is Similarly Effective to Antibiotics Combined with Povidone-Iodine in the Prevention of Infections—A Prospective Cohort Study

“…The broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of MGH makes it effective in preventing infections, while also promoting wound healing. Previous studies have demonstrated that MGH is effective in resolving infections in several types of wounds caused by different types of bacteria, and can even eradicate biofilms [20,30,31,54]. The supplements in the MGH formulation L-Mesitran further enhance these beneficial properties [54][55][56].…”

“…The honey used in L-Mesitran can be of different floral and geographical origin but always complies with strict MGH criteria to guarantee safety, quality, and efficacy [22]. Hence, MGH is free of pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and endospores/micro-organisms (due to gamma irradiation) and adheres to certain physicochemical characteristics [30]. The other ingredients enhance the antimicrobial activity and improve the applicability [54][55][56].…”

“…In addition, MGH also exerts wound healing properties through a myriad of mechanisms. Specifically, MGH creates a moist wound environment, promotes (autolytic) debridement, stimulates angiogenesis and re-epithelialization, and optimizes wound healing through its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and immunomodulatory effects [25,30,31]. MGH can be used in a large number of applications, of which CS is just one possible application.…”