Presentation: Mainstreaming Honey in Burn and Wound Care

This presentation will be offered at the 2nd International Conference on the Medicinal Use of Honey, January 13-15 in Malaysia

Honey in Wound and Burn Care
Ahmad Sukari Halim
Reconstructive Sciences Department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Honey has been used since the ancient times in wound care. However with the development of highly commercialized modern dressing material and antibiotic therapy, honey has fallen back into the background.

The ever increasing antibiotic-resistant microbial species in recent years has led to interest in rediscovering and re-evaluation the therapeutic use of honey.

Furthermore, clinical observation showed that infection is rapidly cleared. Inflammation, swelling and pain are also quickly reduced. Odor is reduced, while granulation and epithelialization are hastened.

Other observations around the world suggest that honey helps in the healing of wounds and ulcers with growth of new tissue. Therapeutic effects of honey have also been found to enhance healing with less scarring.

Beside the wound healing aspect, factors such as minimal adherence, ease of removal, reduction of fluid accumulation and dryness of surrounding skin and exudates are important positive features of honey in wound care.

Although this evidence has been documented - along with other evidence from animal studies - there are still significant skeptics in clinical practice. This is mainly due to insufficient validated scientific evidence to determine the effect of honey compared with other treatments for burns or in other acute and chronic wound types.

This presentation will highlight the background, the present status of work and future challenges in getting honey back into the mainstream treatment of wound and burn care.

E-mail: ashalim@kb.usm.my