The use of honey for the treatment of two patients with pressure ulcers

Chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers, leg ulcers and diabetic wounds are a common problem among older people and alternative methods to the current time-consuming and costly practices of wound management in the nursing home need to be identified. To this end, we trialled the use of a honey alginate on two elderly males in our nursing home who were suffering from pressure ulcers (one on the ankle and one on the sacral region), to evaluate its effectiveness as a viable alternative to the current wound management practices in nursing homes. The use of honey resulted in a rapid and complete healing of both wounds. In addition, the antibacterial activity of honey had a deodorizing effect on the wounds and its anti-inflammatory actions helped reduce the level of pain. Similar healing results are also being observed in other patients with pressure-induced ulcers and as a result honey alginates are now being used as the 'standard' treatment for chronic wounds in our nursing home.