Efficacy of honey gel in the treatment of chronic lower leg ulcers : A prospective study

Chronic leg ulcers are a common medical problem among elderly patients and have a dramatic impact on quality of life as a result of pain, disability, and social isolation. Regardless of their cause, chronic leg ulcers remain difficult to treat. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of honey as a therapeutic agent. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of honeybased dressings in the treatment of chronic leg ulcers. Methods: Ten patients with chronic (mean duration 3.3 years) leg ulcers who had received non-honey based treatments with no improvement were included in this study. A honey gel dressing was applied twice a week as the only treatment. Results: Seven patients experienced complete healing of their leg ulcers. The remaining three patients showed a significant reduction in wound size, which was achieved in a mean time of 101 days (range 28-174 days). Conclusion: Honey-based dressings appear to be an efficient and easy to use treatment for leg ulcers.