The Potential of Gelam Honey in Promoting the Proliferative Phase of Corneal Reepithelialization
Zarick, C.S.; Benkert, E.A.; Oliver, N.G.; Steinberg, J.S.; Evans, K.K.; Attinger, C.E.; Rocha, Z.M.; Kim, P.J.
Wounds a compendium of clinical research and practice 29(12): 380-386
2017
ISSN/ISBN: 1943-2704 PMID: 28976341 Document Number: 692879
Advances in molecular diagnostic medicine have allowed for more rapid, accurate, and comprehensive methods for identifying microorganisms in a chronic wound, which led to the de- velopment and use of a tailored topical antibiotic gel aimed at treating this bioburden. This is a retrospective chart review evalu- ating the authors' early experience with the use of bacteria-speci c antimicrobial gel therapy on chronic lower extremity wounds that have not responded to standard therapy. All patients in the study were treated with a topical gel along with standard of care modalities. A total of 48 patients with 76 wounds (50/76 venous leg ulcers; 65.8%) were identi ed and analyzed. Of the 48 patients, 11 (22.9%) had complete wound closure at a mean of 101.6 days of treatment. The number of wounds decreasing in size improved from 45.3% to 77.6% after gel therapy. An analysis of all wounds showed an increase in size by 0.7% weekly with the topical gel; how- ever, a mean weekly healing rate of 6.5% was seen when analyzing only the subset of wounds that decreased in size. Although a minor improvement of weekly healing rate was seen for a subset of the wounds, the overall wound closure rate was low.