The use of a Leptospermum (Manuka) Honey Gel to treat wounds that have significant presence of non sharp debridable necrotic tissue

Background:  The use of Manuka (Leptospermum) honey in wound healing is an ancient practice.  Modern medical technology has allowed sterile, high quality 100% medical honey to be dispensed out of single use tubes.  Honey is known to elicit exudation due to the creation of an osmotic gradient when applied to a wound, and it is believed that such exuberant egress of exudates leads to the dissolution of necrotic tissue which in certain cases may not be removable in the usually most desirable manner, viz. via sharp debridement.

Methods:In this study, we identified 10 patients each with wounds whose healing was complicated by persistence of difficult to remove necrotic tissue.  We applied a 100% liquid Manuka honey* on these patients and used appropriate secondary dressing with frequent dressing changes as required.  We measured wound size over time, assessed the ease of the dressing change process, and also assessed the resulting removal of necrotic tissue over time.

Results and Conclusion:  We found that in the diverse wound types presented, wound size reduction over the time of the study was achieved in some patients over the four week period of this study. Necrotic tissue removal occurred with efficiency in all these wounds and we were satisfied that this type of osmotic pressure driven necrotic tissue removal is a suitable method of debridement when sharp debridement is not possible.  We did not notice any particular challenge in containing wound exudates with suitable secondary dressings when appropriate secondary dressings were used.

Acknowledgement: Therahoney gel, Medline Inc.