MEDIHONEY is a brand name wound and burn gel made from 100% Leptospermum (Manuka) honey. Manuka honey is unique in that it has antibacterial and bacterial resistant properties, meaning it prevents bacteria from building a tolerance to its beneficial effects. Honey is a sugary, syrupy substance that has been shown to have bioactive components that can help heal wounds. Kateel et al. 14 found that three of five RCTs concluded that topical honey was better than conventional dressings for the healing of diabetic foot ulcers while two of the five RCTs found no difference in healing between the two treatments. No adverse events were reported. 14 The authors also included observational studies that reported greater efficacy, decreased amputation, and better compliance with honey for diabetic foot ulcer. 14 Two of the five RCTs summarized by Kateel et al. 14 were also included in the broader SR by Jull et al. 15 According to a literature review published in the journal Wounds, honey offers the following benefits in healing wounds:

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.MEDIHONEY has become the go-to wound care product for many Americans. It comes in both prescription-strength and over-the-counter formulas and provides a safe, effective, way to manage burns, arterial ulcers, and surgical wounds. 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 It’s always possible that honey or its container can become contaminated, or, a person could have an allergic reaction. Sometimes, this is to the bee pollen that’s naturally present in honey. Allergic reactions In medical terms, the moist environment of honey-dressed wounds is established by two processes: osmolarity (mentioned above) and autolytic debridement. Osmotic activity causes damaged cells to become dehydrated and die. Osmotic activity is enhanced by autolytic debridement, a process in which the body's own moisture is utilized to hydrate, soften, liquefy and finally remove dead and infected tissue. In addition to promoting healing, one of the great benefits to a moist wound environment is that dressing changes are easier and less uncomfortable for the patient. MEDIHONEY calcium alginate dressings can be safely worn for up to seven days. Change the dressing as soon as the secondary bandage reaches its absorbent capacity, or as prescribed by your loved one’s primary care physician.

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. 18 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. 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. 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

MEDIHONEY® Hydrogel Sheet Dressing (Adhesive)

Second, Manuka honey contains a much higher concentration of methylglyoxal (MGO) than regular honey. MGO is an organic compound known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties. For severe wounds, it’s best a doctor or wound-care nurse shows you how to apply the honey the first time. This is because the amount of honey and the way the dressing is applied can impact how effective the wound-healing will be. Tips for applying honey on wounds Kamaratos AV, Tzirogiannis KN, Iraklianou SA, Panoutsopoulos GI, Kanellos IE, Melidonis AI. Manuka honey-impregnated dressings in the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. Int Wound J. 2012 ; 9: 1-7. 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.

The remarkable debriding action of honey that has been noted by many would also assist in this by removing slough which is a rich source of bacteria to stimulate an inflammatory response ( 19). 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.

MEDIHONEY is different from regular honey in several ways. For one, it’s only produced by bees that pollinate the Manuka flower, a species of tea tree native to New Zealand. 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. If you have any questions about applying honey to your wound, follow up with a physician. Types of honey used on wounds 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. Acidic pH promotes healing. Honey has an acidic pH of between 3.2 and 4.5. When applied to wounds, the acidic pH encourages the blood to release oxygen, which is important to wound healing. An acidic pH also reduces the presence of substances called proteases that impair the wound healing process.

The value of honey as a moisture retention agent for the skin has long been known; it so happens that Cleopatra applied honey daily to her skin as part of her beauty ritual. In modern medicine, we know that a properly balanced, moist wound environment is essential for healing. Nearly all wounds are kept moist through the use of occlusive dressings. Medical-grade honey dressings are especially effective at providing a moist healing environment and softening hardened, dry wounds. This is because honey's high sugar content keeps the wound surface moist by drawing in fluid from surrounding tissues. We’ve created an FAQ for those new to wound care and MEDIHONEY. This article answers the following: Medihoney™ is licensed for wound care in Australia, Europe and the USA. In Europe a CE-certification exists declaring Medihoney™ as medical product. Some researchers have raised concerns regarding the use of raw honey, which is made from honeycombs and unfiltered, for wound treatment. They theorize that there’s greater risks for infection using this honey type.Many of the studies related to honey for burns were conducted by a single research group based in India which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other clinical regions. Jull et al. 15 mentioned that practitioners using this information to inform their clinical practice need to be conscious of how well the populations and interventions presented in these studies align with their own patients and think critically about the clinical relevance to their own practice. In our paediatric oncology department at the Children's Hospital Medical Centre, University of Bonn, Germany most patients suffer from a profoundly suppressed immune system, due to their underlying disease (i.e. leukemia) ( 1) and the chemotherapy they undergo. This frequently results in wound healing problems ( 2, 3), leaving the patient susceptible to wound infections. Unfortunately these infections spread easily in immunocompromized patients and can cause secondary potentially life-threatening bloodstream infections ( 4). While care has been taken to ensure that the information prepared by CADTH in this document is accurate, complete, and up-to-date as at the applicable date the material was first published by CADTH, CADTH does not make any guarantees to that effect. CADTH does not guarantee and is not responsible for the quality, currency, propriety, accuracy, or reasonableness of any statements, information, or conclusions contained in any third-party materials used in preparing this document. The views and opinions of third parties published in this document do not necessarily state or reflect those of CADTH.