The use of honey for treating wounds is long established, it is believed that it was used for just this purpose 4000 years ago and continued to have a place in folk medicine. In more recent times with the development of sophisticated dressings and effective antibiotics, the value of honey for woundcare was overshadowed. Pure bee honey, however, is not well suited for clinical use because its application is associated with pain and its high osmotic potential can lead to excessive fluid loss and subsequent evaporation, particularly when used to treat burns. Modern medical grade honey has been developed to overcome the limitations of pure honey by including an oily component which acts as a barrier to fluid loss, prevents desiccation and preserves a moist wound environment.
Three important properties make Mesitran so useful in professional woundcare: speeds debridement, controls malodour, encourages healing.
Today, the body of reliable evidence supporting a role for honey dressings continues to grow and there is a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of activity behind its positive effects which include accelerating debridement, controlling malodour and encouraging the healing process. Honey dressings and ointment now have an established place on UK healthcare formularies.
Woundcare with honey - a comforting thought
The FIRST medical grade honey dressing available on drug tariff