title: Safety and efficacy of active Leptospermum honey in neonatal and paediatric wound debridement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Safety is a critically important factor in the selection of products used in neonatal and paediatric wound care. Given the lack of standardisation of neonatal and paediatric wound care protocols, the goal of this study was to present data on the safety and efficacy of active Leptospermum honey (ALH) in this patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre, retrospective chart review was conducted at eight inpatient facilities and one outpatient clinic between October 2011 and March 2014. The number of applications of ALH, adverse events, and the success of debridement and wound healing were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected on 115 neonatal and paediatric patients, with 121 wounds requiring debridement, treated with ALH. Patients were treated for an average of 18.7 days. ALH was well tolerated, with two (1.7%) patients reporting adverse events involving a transient stinging sensation on application, which did not prohibit additional applications of ALH. Successful debridement was achieved in 86.0% (104 wounds), and 77.7% (94 wounds) were successfully closed using nonsurgical intervention. Outcomes in neonates were similar to the overall paediatric population, with 86.1% (31/36) wounds successfully debrided with no adverse events. In a subset of six patients with available pre- and post-treatment data, no clinically meaningful changes in white blood cell counts or glucose levels were associated with the initiation of treatment with ALH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study support ALH as a safe and effective treatment option in this group of patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study was supported by a grant from Derma Sciences (Princeton, NJ USA). Dr Amaya is a paid speaker for Derma Sciences.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Specialist; Pediatric Specialists of Houston,1140 Business Center Drive, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77043.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amaya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006722:Honey; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D031649:Leptospermum; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: active Leptospermum honey; full thickness wounds; neonatal/paediatric wound care; wound debridement