effect of olea ointment and acetate mafenide on burn wounds – a randomized clinical trial

abstract background: the main goals in treating burns are to accelerate tissue renovation and prevent infection. topical antibiotics are used in the treatment of burns, but they can cause side effects. recently, a traditional ointment (olea) has been used in iran in the treatment of burns. this study examines the effect of topical honey ointment in healing of burn patients. materials and methods: in this randomized controlled trial (rct), 30 hospitalized patients selected by conventional sampling (10 in olea group and 20 in acetate mafenide ointment group) were evaluated. inclusion criteria were: having second‑degree burns and body surface area equal to or < 40%. one group was treated using topical olea ointment and the other with acetate mafenide ointment (8.5%). chi‑square, fisher exact test, and kaplan–meier were used. significance level was considered as p < 0.05. results: none of the patients in the olea group needed surgery for debridement, while in the second group, 13 patients (65%) needed debridement (p = 0.001). in the olea group, 1 patient (10%) and in the second group, 19 patients (95%) had positive cultures after 7 days (p < 0.001). the mean time of granulation tissue formation in the olea group was 12 days (10.3–13.6) and in the other group, it was 17 days (13.3–20.6) (p < 0.001). conclusions: olea ointment is a useful treatment for burns, and it can prevent infections, accelerate tissue repair, and facilitate debridement. therefore, using this ointment is recommended for the treatment of burns.