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

Product Information

Antibacterial effect. Honey has been shown to have an antibacterial effect on bacteria commonly present in wounds, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). Part of this resistance may be through its osmotic effects. The health benefits, side effects, and risks have been considered in formulating the recommendations.

Cover the MEDIHONEY gel, paste, or alginate dressing with an absorbent sterile, secondary bandage or a compression garment. Dunford et al. ( 61) undertook a four-center feasibility study to determine whether Medihoney™ is an acceptable treatment for patients with leg ulcers in terms of pain relief, odour control and overall patient satisfaction. A total of 40 patients whose leg ulcers had not responded to 12 weeks of compression therapy were recruited. Medihoney dressings were applied on their ulcers for the 12-week study period. All other aspects of their care, including the use of compression bandaging, remained unchanged. Overall, ulcer pain and size decreased significantly and odorous wounds were deodorized promptly.

What’s the difference between MEDIHONEY and regular honey?

If you care for a loved one with underlying health problems like diabetes or venous insufficiency, MEDIHONEY can reduce the risk of infections, support the removal of necrotic tissue, and encourage the body’s natural wound healing process. Silver sulfadiazine is considered to be the gold standard treatment for burns in some cases; however, the properties of silver may actually inhibit healing. 13 Since silver sulfadiazine may inherently inhibit healing, by comparing honey to silver, the beneficial effects of honey may be artificially inflated; therefore, these results should be interpreted with some caution and further research could be beneficial to confirm honey’s positive effect for this indication. 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.

Medical-grade honey, most recognized under the brand-name MEDIHONEY by Derma Sciences, is derived from the flower of the Manuka plant ( Leptospermum) of New Zealand, the most studied of all honey types. The source of the nectar finely tunes the properties of the honey, determining flavor, color and, in this case, medicinal benefits. Manuka honey offers an antibacterial environment that is superior to ordinary honey. In some countries, sterilized MEDIHONEY is available as a prescription. MEDIHONEY is a registered medical device in the United Kingdom and Australia; in the US, medical-grade honey dressings are being used in healthcare settings more frequently than ever before. This document is prepared and intended for use in the context of the Canadian health care system. The use of this document outside of Canada is done so at the user’s own risk. The population (patients, public, etc.) to whom the guideline is meant to apply is specifically described. Ideally, a person should use medical-grade honey, which is sterilized and therefore less likely to cause immune system reactions.Three SRs 13 , 15 , 16 performed MAs, and the HTA 12 and two SRs 14 , 17 did not perform any quantitative analysis. The anti-inflammatory action of honey has been extensively observed clinically ( 19, 28, 29) and in animal models ( 15). Animals do not demonstrate any placebo effects, as they are incapable of having attitudes influence their healing process, such as believing that natural products would be more effective, or from hearing via the news media of the effectiveness of honey in wound treatment ( 30). Thus, these observational and histological studies can be cited as convincing evidence for the positive results with honey not being due to a placebo effect. Similarly, this can be concluded also for the observations in wounds in animal models of honey stimulating the rate of angiogenesis, granulation and epithelialization ( 31, 32), which would explain the findings in clinical trials that honey speeds up the healing process ( 15). If you have any questions about applying honey to your wound, follow up with a physician. Types of honey used on wounds Place a clean, dry dressing over the honey. This can be sterile gauze pads or an adhesive bandage. An occlusive dressing is best over honey because it keeps the honey from seeping out.

Wounds must be protected from external contaminants throughout the course of healing. Doctors and nurses use powerful antiseptics such as Hibiclens soap to regularly clean wounds for a reason-- any new germ to enter the wound area could lead to a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Occlusive barriers are a wound-care must, insulating the damaged tissue and keeping pathogens out. Honey's high viscosity makes it a particularly effective occlusive barrier for wounds. As a bonus, as long as the wound isn't leaking considerably, a single dressing may last for several days. Medihoney Gel Sheetis a sterile,non-adherentwound dressing made from Medihoney Antibacterial Honey (80%w/w) and Sodium Alginate for wound care (20%w/w). While this is more of an idea than something that is proven, it’s important to be aware of the risks, according to the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. Ineffective When honey is diluted with water, reducing its high sugar content, it still inhibits the growth of many different bacterial species that cause wound infections ( 14, 15, 17–20). 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.Subject to the aforementioned limitations, the views expressed herein are those of CADTH and do not necessarily represent the views of Canada’s federal, provincial, or territorial governments or any third party supplier of information. Sugar has an osmotic effect. The sugar naturally present in honey has the effect of drawing water out of damaged tissues (known as an osmotic effect). This reduces swelling and encourages the flow of lymph to heal the wound. Sugar also draws water out of bacterial cells, which can help keep them from multiplying. Pressure ulcers, foot ulcers, skins tears, lesions, venous ulcers, burns, and other chronic wounds are par for the course in hospital and long-term care settings. Wounds can be difficult to treat and if an individual has a non-healing wound for more than eight weeks, the wound is considered chronic. Poor healing can result from poor blood circulation or an impaired immune system. While clinicians work to treat any underlying conditions that inhibit a wound from healing, they also treat wound topically, for example with occlusive dressings or surgical skin glue (such as Dermabond). Skin glue and occlusive dressings act as a sealant for the wound and surrounding tissue, keeping out the pathogens out while retaining moisture. Natural remedies are a popular alternative for people leery of standard medical treatments that are perceived to be chemical-laden. MEDIHONEY was developed as an alternative to traditional occlusive dressings and, in some cases, these medical-honey bandages have outperformed their competitors. There are a variety of types of wounds, acute wounds (including cuts, scrapes, burns, trauma, needle punctures, and surgical incisions acquired in healthcare settings) and chronic wounds (diabetic foot ulcers or pressure ulcers). 1 The management of wounds presents a burden on the Canadian healthcare system. In 2011 to 2012, more than 2.6 million wounds were treated in Canadian healthcare settings. 1 In 2013, it was estimated that infected pressure ulcers and surgical wounds cost individual hospitals around one million dollars a year. 1