Medical grade honey for the treatment of paediatric abdominal wounds: a case series.

Eleftherios Smaropoulos, Niels Aj Cremers

Journal: Journal of wound care 2020;29(2):94-99

PMID: 32058849

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

Children are at high risk of injuries and wounds. The application of medical grade honey is a promising approach to improving the healing of wounds of various origin and severity. However, the use of medical grade honey in young paediatric patients remains limited. The aim of this study is to show the safety, efficacy and usefulness of medical grade honey in abdominal wounds, of different causes, in paediatric patients.

METHOD

This was a prospective, observational case series evaluating five young infants with abdominal wounds at the General Hospital in Thessaloniki. All wounds were treated in the same manner with daily medical grade honey applied to the wound area and closely monitored.

RESULTS

All treated wounds rapidly presented granulation tissue formation and underwent re-epithelialisation. Peripheral oedema and inflammation decreased upon initial application. Necrotic tissue was effectively debrided when present. Slough was removed and no signs of infection were detected, irrespective of initial wound presentations. Scar formation was minimal and the full range of motion was preserved in all cases.

CONCLUSION

Based on this case study, medical grade honey is safe and effective in treating different abdominal wounds, including infected or dehisced wounds as well as burns. The easy application and broad applicability make medical grade honey recommendable as a first-line treatment in paediatric patients.

Address: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.; St. Luke Private Clinic, Thessaloniki, Greece.; Triticum Exploitatie BV, Capucijnenstraat 71, 6211 RP Maastricht, PO Box 370, 6200 AJ Maastricht, the Netherlands.

DOI: 10.12968/jowc.2020.29.2.94

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MeSH Terms: Abdominal Injuries, Apitherapy, Appendectomy, Appendicitis, Ascorbic Acid, Bacteroides Infections, Burns, Burns, Chemical, Child, Child, Preschool, Dermatologic Agents, Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial, Edema, Female, Gastrostomy, Greece, Honey, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Inflammation, Klebsiella Infections, Lanolin, Male, Neuroblastoma, Oils, Volatile, Ointments, Prospective Studies, Re-Epithelialization, Retroperitoneal Neoplasms, Surgical Wound Dehiscence, Surgical Wound Infection, Vitamin E, Vitamins, Zinc Oxide