Honey: A Biologic Wound Dressing.

Honey has been used as a wound dressing for thousands of years, but only in more recent times has a scientific explanation become available for its effectiveness. It is now realized that honey is a biologic wound dressing with multiple bioactivities that work in concert to expedite the healing process. The physical properties of honey also expedite the healing process: its acidity increases the release of oxygen from hemoglobin thereby making the wound environment less favorable for the activity of destructive proteases, and the high osmolarity of honey draws fluid out of the wound bed to create an outflow of lymph as occurs with negative pressure wound therapy.

The controlled in vitro susceptibility of gastrointestinal pathogens to the antibacterial effect of manuka honey.

The susceptibility of common gastrointestinal bacteria against manuka honey with median level non-peroxide antibacterial activity (equivalent to that of 16.5% phenol) was investigated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) using a standardized manuka honey with the broth microdilution method. The measured sensitivity of bacteria showed that manuka honey is significantly more effective than artificial honey (a mixture of sugars as in honey), indicating that osmolarity is not the only factor that is responsible for the antibacterial activity of the honey.

Postantibiotic effect of purified melittin from honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Since the ancient times, the antibacterial application of honeybee venom (BV) has been practised and persisted. We investigated the antibacterial activity of whole BV and purified melittin against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and the postantibiotic effects (PAEs). The in vitro PAEs of whole BV and isolated melittin were determined using E.

Venous ulcer management in New Zealand: usual care versus guideline recommendations.

Aim: To compare usual care with key recommendations for venous ulcer management in the New Zealand Guidelines for Care of People with Chronic Leg Ulcers.

Method: A cohort of participants enrolled in the usual care arm of the HALT trial had their management compared to four treatment recommendations: compression (use high compression); dressing selection (use simple dressings); pentoxifylline (trial of treatment if not tolerant of compression or failure to progress with compression alone); and compression hosiery after healing (remain in hosiery after healing to prevent recurrence).

Results: 181 participants were enrolled in the usual care arm, 25 in Auckland, 60 in Counties Manukau, 41 in Waikato, and 55 in Christchurch.