Clinical Use of Apis mellifera Honey Membrane in Second- and Third-Degree Burns: A Retrospective Case Series

Burn management requires cost-effective, antimicrobial dressings, especially in resource-limited settings. We evaluated the clinical performance of a unilaminar Apis mellifera honey membrane in treating adult second- and third-degree burns.

A retrospective case series was conducted at a tertiary hospital. Ten adults with second-degree (n = 5, 50%) and third-degree (n = 5, 50%) burns received unilaminar honey membrane (Bio-film®, Biomed Centroamérica, Guatemala City, Guatemala) application over the affected area.

Ten patients (nine males and one female; mean age of 44.2 years) were included. Etiologies comprised scalds (5, 50%), fire (2, 20%), electrical (2, 20%), and contact (1, 10%) burns. A total of 11 lesions were treated. Second-degree burns achieved complete closure with a single application in a mean of 7.4 days (95% CI: 5.3-9.5). Third-degree burns required two to four applications to achieve a graft-ready bed in a mean of 17.7 days (95% CI: 13.4-22.0). All skin grafts (100%) integrated successfully. Tolerance was excellent, with only one patient reporting transient pain. Pre-graft cultures showed superficial colonization in two (33%) of the six deep wounds, with no signs of clinical infection.

The unilaminar Apis mellifera honey membrane appeared to be a safe and well-tolerated adjunct for second-degree burn closure and graft-bed preparation. While preliminary results are promising, further large-scale comparative studies are required to confirm its clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness.