New Jersey Medical Center Treats Wounds with Honey

Hunterdon Medical Center Doctors Using Honey for Wound Care
By Hunterdon County Democrat, 2/15/2010

RARITAN TWP. — Honey isn’t just for sweetening tea anymore. Doctors at the Hunterdon Wound Healing Center are using it as part of their treatment program.

Honey was used as a first aid treatment more than 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Today, doctors are using a medical grade product called Leptospermum honey— native to New Zealand and Australia — as an effective agent in topical wound care. They say its is especially useful for treating non-healing diabetic wounds and in cases where antibiotic resistance, such as MRSA, is an issue.

Dr. Priti Gujar, who is Medical Director of the Hunterdon Wound Healing Center, said, “The medical grade honey helps to decrease bacteria and maintain moisture in the wound to allow it to heal. It also helps to remove tissue that is unhealthy, which can prolong the healing process, and stimulates new tissue growth.”

Michelle Allegro, RN, CNM, who is Clinical Manager at the wound center, said that with the product, a typical wound may take about eight to 16 weeks to heal. “Our goal is to heal a wound within 16 weeks,” she said. “With a combination of therapies…we have seen faster results.”…