title: A systematic review and meta-analysis of dressings used for wound healing: the efficiency of honey compared to silver on burns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Honey has the antibacterial effect of silver without the toxic effect of silver on the skin. Even so, silver is the dominant antibacterial dressing used in wound healing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the healing effects of honey dressings compared to silver dressings for acute or chronic wounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review with meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The search, conducted in seven databases, resulted in six randomised controlled trial studies from South Asia focusing on antibacterial properties and healing times of honey and silver.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Honey was more efficacious for wound healing than silver, as measured in the number of days needed for wounds to heal (pooled risk difference -20, 95% CI -0.29 to -0.11, p < .001). Honey turned out to have more antibacterial qualities than silver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the included studies based on burns showed the unequivocal result that honey had an even more positive effect than silver on wound healing.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health, Faculty of Health Science , Blekinge Institute of Technology , SE-371 79 Karlskrona , Sweden.
authors.forename: Terese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health, Faculty of Health Science , Blekinge Institute of Technology , SE-371 79 Karlskrona , Sweden.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health, Faculty of Health Science , Blekinge Institute of Technology , SE-371 79 Karlskrona , Sweden.
authors.forename: Molina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palm
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health, Faculty of Health Science , Blekinge Institute of Technology , SE-371 79 Karlskrona , Sweden.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fagerström
mesh_terms: D006722:Honey; D006801:Humans; D012834:Silver / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D012834:Silver
keywords: antibacterial dressing; burns; honey; silver; wound healing