Key Takeaway
Honey dressings significantly shorten wound healing time, increase complete healing rates, and reduce bacterial load in chronic wounds compared to conventional dressings.
Summary
This updated systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of honey dressings for managing chronic wounds. The authors searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials comparing honey dressings with conventional wound care.
The meta-analysis included multiple RCTs and found that honey dressings significantly reduced mean wound healing time, increased the rate of complete wound healing at various follow-up time points, and improved the percentage of wound area healed compared to control dressings. Honey-treated wounds also showed significantly greater bacterial clearance rates.
Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, and funnel plots indicated no significant publication bias. The authors concluded that honey dressings are an effective and safe adjunctive therapy for chronic wound management, with benefits attributed to honey's antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and tissue-regenerating properties.
Figures
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6