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Link: The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds.
Some clinicians are under the impression that there is little or no evidence to support the use of honey as a wound dressing. To allow sound decisions to be made, this seminar article has covered the various reports that have been published on the clinical usage of honey. Positive findings on honey in wound care have been reported from 17 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1965 participants, and 5 clinical trials of other forms involving 97 participants treated with honey. The effectiveness of honey in assisting wound healing has also been demonstrated in 16 trials on a total of 533 wounds on experimental animals. There is also a large amount of evidence in the form of case studies that have been reported. It has been shown to give good results on a very wide range of types of wound. It is therefore mystifying that there appears to be a lack of universal acceptance of honey as a wound dressing. It is recommended that clinicians should look for the clinical evidence that exists to support the use of other wound care products to compare with the evidence that exists for honey.
Link: Daily Mail.
A British scientist has clinched a £28,000 grant to fund research into how simple breakfast honey can combat the killer MRSA superbug. Microbiologist Dr Rose Cooper, based at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, began studying the health benefits of honey eight years ago, and now she is savouring the sweet smell of success. Cash from the British Society for Anti-Microbial Chemotherapy will fund 12 months' research into the role of New Zealand manuka honey in the fight against MRSA. Look here too... Skip gossip links to more articles * Honey money to fight superbug * NHS bosses acknowledge staff stress * 23 killed by rabid bats in Brazil * Expert sets out key to long life * Primrose oil may help fight cancer * 'One in four suffers drink problem' Dr Cooper will study how common breakfast-table honey, Down Under, made by bees which collect nectar from the wild manuka bush, affects cell division in MRSA.
Link: RedNova News
Clinical trials have found that active manuka honey from New Zealand, made with pollen gathered from the flowers of the manuka bush, is an effective antibacterial treatment for wounds, and for killing the bacteria Helicobacter Pylori, which can cause stomach ulcers. Honey dressings for wounds are now available on the NHS and are believed to be helpful in preventing the spread of MRSA. Manuka honey is rated according to Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) with UMF 10 or higher being suitable for medicinal use. However, Webb warns: "It is important to use a sterile manuka honey cream on wounds."
Link: Ananova - Honey can help superbug.
A type of honey could be used to fight the MRSA superbug. Research shows just a small amount of special brand Medihone put on dressings can prevent MRSA spreading through open wounds. Anthony Maloney from Medihoney said: "A couple of teaspoons of the honey in a glass of water would knock out he worst bug in hospitals today." Trials at Aintree Hospital, Liverpool, showed it can fight pain and heal wounds quickly reports the Mirror. A spokesperson from the Department of Health said: "We welcome any help in preventing infection."
Link: 50 connect.co.uk.
The risks of MRSA are well publicised, but the same cannot be said for a preventative measure, now available on the NHS and over-the-counter. UMF® Manuka Honey dressings kill MRSA, something many of our strongest antibiotics cannot do, and what's more, they are available on the NHS. Professor Molan is one of the world’s leading authorities on the use of Manuka honey in wound care. He has conducted numerous clinical trials that document the success of Manuka Honey in killing MRSA and treating various other bacterial infections associated with open wounds and ulcers at New Zealand’s Waikato Hospital
Click the link above for the full interview
Link: Telegraph
Following last week’s announcement that deaths from MRSA have doubled in the past four years, it is clear that hospitals need all the help they can get in the war against superbugs. So news that the first honey-based dressing, which is clinically proven to fight MRSA, is now available through the NHS supply arm - the Logistics Authority - will be welcomed by doctors and nurses. Honey bees Antimicrobial action is especially high in honeys made with nectar from the Antipodes Patient studies and laboratory research have shown that Medihoney products, which were launched in the UK this week for use in hospitals and for sale over the counter, can heal wounds infected with MRSA and are effective against more than 250 clinical strains of bacteria. MRSA alone is responsible for an estimated 5,000 hospital deaths each year and adds �1billion to the NHS budget. The antibacterial activity in some honeys is 100 times more powerful than in others. The high sugar levels create an environment that cleans the wound and inhibits bacteria, but in addition, when certain varieties of honey are diluted, they release hydrogen peroxide, which is an antiseptic. They also appear to gain added potency from the phytochemicals that are in the nectar of particular plants.
Link: Medihoney(R) - Kills Wound 'Superbugs' Dead.
A medical honey could be the answer to wounds infected with anti-biotic resistant 'superbugs', with the first pure medical honey dressing that has clinically proven data against MRSA now available to all UK hospitals. Clinical and in vitro research has shown Medihoney(R) wound care products have successfully healed both acute and chronic wounds colonised with methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, which is estimated to cause more than 5,000 deaths [i] in UK hospitals and cost the NHS GBP1billion per year, and extend infected patients stay in hospital for additional 11 days [ii]. Honey has been used for centuries to promote the healing of wounds and leg ulcers. Its high concentration of natural sugars creates an environment that both cleans the wound and inhibits bacteria. Many honeys release low levels of antiseptics, such as hydrogen peroxide and gluconic acid, which can inhibit the growth of skin bacteria. Some honeys, however - especially those derived from the nectar of medicinal plants native to New Zealand and Australia - also contain unique substances with more powerful, antimicrobial actions. ADVERTISEMENT Medihoney(R) wound care products contain a blend of these medical honeys selected for their exceptional, antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria - including antibiotic-resistant strains. Clinical and in vitro research has shown Medihoney(R) is effective against more than 250 clinical strains, including the highly infectious MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), MSSA (methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Actinetobacter calcoaceticus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. [iii] [iv] [v] [vi] [vii]
SGM : News : Media Releases
Honey could be the new antibiotic, according to scientific research from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) presented today (Monday, 06 September 2004) at the Society for General Microbiology's 155th Meeting at Trinity College Dublin. By studying the way bacteria protect themselves from attack by forming slimy clumps, scientists have discovered that honey may be an effective new weapon in breaking up the microbes' defences. The researchers from the School of Applied Sciences at UWIC looked at the dangerous infections that commonly get into wounds, such as Pseudomonas bacteria.
"If the bacteria can multiply enough to form a slimy mass called a biofilm - the sort of slime you get round a sink plughole for instance - they are much less sensitive to antibiotics and antiseptics," says Ana Henriques of UWIC. "Doctors looking after badly injured and infected patients urgently need to remove these biofilms so that they can treat their wounds safely, and prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria." The scientists studied six different strains of the bacteria, five of which came from injuries, and grew them in the laboratory to form biofilms, which are notoriously difficult to treat when they appear as hospital infections. Biofilms prevent healing in wounds and may lead to chronic ulcers. The laboratory grown samples were treated with Manuka honey, then unattached bacteria were washed off and the remaining slime layer studied after different time periods. In every sample the biofilm was disrupted making it more susceptible to the treatment with conventional antibiotics.
The Sunday Mail
QUEENSLAND beekeeper Len Arkadiess is the latest Aussie saving the skin of our delicate distant cousins, the Poms. He's one of about 20 beekeepers producing medicinal honey used to fight superbugs and skin infections in overseas hospitals, including the UK.
Harnessing honey's healing power
A special honey has been found to be excellent at treating wounds and is particularly hostile to MRSA
A short introduction from Dave Roberts
This 12 minute introduction will help you grasp the key facts and the key issues surrounding drug resistant staph aureus (mersa, mursa)
