Honey-based dressings and wound care: an option for care in the United States.
Honey-based wound dressings have been used worldwide since ancient times. A honey product received US Federal Drug Administration approval in 2007, making this dressing an option for wound care. Honey has been found to exert anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects without antibiotic resistance, promote moist wound healing, and facilitate debridement. However, it may cause a stinging pain. As is true of any wound dressing, its use must be carefully selected and monitored. Continued research is needed to add to its evidence base. This article provides a summary of the current evidence base for the use of honey and a review of its therapeutic effects and discusses implications for WOC nursing practice.
Pieper
Barbara
B
College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. bpieper@comcast.net
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D001458:Bandages; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents