A second patient was a 49-year-old female with a hernia repair that resulted in a open wound that would not heal. The patient had been previously treated with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) while hospitalized. In preparation for discharge, the NPWT was to be discontinued and an antimicrobial dressing was needed to prevent infection of the exposed mesh. The nurses applied MEDIHONEY's ALH paste along with an ALH-impregnated calcium alginate dressing and an absorbent cover dressing. The dressing was changed every other day. As Nurse Maggio notes, the wound gradually decreased in size. During week 18, surgical debridement with mesh removal was performed. The patient remained infection- free and the wound had almost completely healed by week 28. The last patient in the study was a 50-year-old healthy male with no diseases but who had sustained a traumatic injury to the dorsal surface of his foot, resulting in an exposed tendon. Previous treatment included daily application of a papain-urea-chlorphyliin enzymatic debriding agent with a gauze dressing. The wound was surrounded by erythema and debridement of necrotic tissue was slow. The MEDIHONEY dressings decreased redness, and prepared the wound bed and promote moist wound healing, noted the nurses.

The authors concluded that integrating MEDIHONEY into the wound care formulary of their indigent outpatient wound care clinic has not only improved healing outcomes but also decreased costs by eliminating the need for enzymatic debriding agents and multitple dressing types. "The dressings have enabled patients to participate easily in their own care, thus improving compliance for a variety of wound types. The antimicrobial effect may have prevented infection in several wounds," noted the authors.

"When the cost of treatment in wound care is a consideration, as in the case of indigent patients, it is crucial to identify a therapy that is both effective and economically sound," said Nurse Maggio. "The cases studied indicate that MEDIHONEY may be the ideal choice for caregivers faced with treating these particular patients."

SOURCE Derma Sciences, Inc.