Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Jun;11(3):259-63.
doi: 10.1111/j.1742-481X.2012.01082.x. Epub 2012 Sep 18.

Manuka honey-impregnated dressings in the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers

Alexandros V Kamaratos  1 , Konstantinos N Tzirogiannis, Stella A Iraklianou, Georgios I Panoutsopoulos, Ilias E Kanellos, Andreas I Melidonis
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Manuka honey-impregnated dressings in the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers

Alexandros V Kamaratos et al. Int Wound J. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the effect of manuka honey-impregnated dressings (MHID) on the healing of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers (NDFU). A total of 63 Caucasians, type 2 diabetic patients followed up in the diabetic foot outpatient clinic comprised the study population. Patients were randomised in two groups as follows: group I patients were treated with MHID and group II patients were treated with conventional dressings (CD). The patients were followed up on a weekly basis for 16 weeks. Mean healing time was 31 ± 4 days in group I versus 43 ± 3 days in group II (P < 0·05). In group I patients 78·13% of ulcers became sterile during the first week versus 35·5% in group II patients; the corresponding percentages for weeks 2, 4 and 6 were 15·62% versus 38·7%, 6·25% versus 12·9% and 0% versus 12·9% respectively. The percent of ulcers healed did not differ significantly between groups (97% for MHID and 90% for CD). MHID represent an effective treatment for NDFU leading to a significant reduction in the time of healing and rapid disinfection of ulcers.

Keywords: Dressings; Manuka honey; Neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Duration of healing of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers in diabetic type II patients treated with manuka honey‐impregnated dressings (group I) and with conventional dressings (group II). Results represent the findings from 32 patients in group I and 31 patients in group II. Values are expressed as means ± SD. ∗ P < 0·05 group I versus group II.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative swab culture results for patients treated with manuka honey‐impregnated dressings and conventional dressings taken during their initial visit upon commencement of the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Majno GA. The healing hand: man and woman in the ancient world. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1975.
    1. Al‐Waili N, Salom K, Al‐Ghamdi AA. Honey for wound healing, ulcers and burns; data supporting its use in clinical practice. ScientificWorldJournal 2011;11:766–87. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Molan PC. The evidence supporting the use of honey as a wound dressing. Int J Low Extrem Wounds 2006;5:40–54. - PubMed
    1. Molan PC. The role of honey in the management of wounds. J Wound Care 1999;8:415–8. - PubMed
    1. Jull AB, Rodgers A, Walker N. Honey as a topical treatment for wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;4:CD005083. - PubMed

Publication types