What is Active Leptospermum Honey (ALH)?

  • The most studied species of honey for the management of wounds and burns
  • Also know as Manuka honey, it is derived from the pollen and nectar of a specific Leptospermum species of plant in New Zealand
  • Unique among all types of honey, it maintains its effectiveness even in the presence of wound fluid
  • The only species of honey that has been shown in randomized controlled studies to help wounds that have stalled under first-line treatment to progress towards healing

MEDIHONEY® - Superior sourcing, rigorous processing

  • Controlled against a rigorous set of systems and standards, and demonstrates product consistency from batch-to-batch
  • Sterilized by gamma irradiation, destroying any bacterial spores without loss of product effectiveness
  • Comes from a traceable source and is free of pesticides and antibiotics

How MEDIHONEY® helps to promote healing

  • Promotes a moisture-balanced environment conducive to wound healing Multiple Mechanisms of Action (MOA’s) help to manage and gain control over the wound environment
  • Assists in autolytic debridement due to high osmolarity
  • Promotes a constant outflow of lymph fluid helping to lift necrotic tissue from the wound environment
  • Helps to lower pH levels within the wound, decreasing protease activity9,10 Is non-toxic, natural, and safe
  • Easy to use, with the potential for extended wear times

History and heritage helping to heal

MEDIHONEY, with Active Leptospermum Honey, is helping to advance wound care

The use of honey for healing goes back thousands of years, to ancient Greece and Egypt. References to its healing abilities are found in the Smith Papyrus, in the writings of Hippocrates and Galen, and even in the Talmud. In recent years a resurgence in the use of honey has driven research and clinical testing to understand the healing properties and effectiveness of honey in helping to heal wounds. As a result, clinicians worldwide are championing the use of this unique honey across a broad spectrum of applications.

Changing expectations and clinical outcomes in wound care

In all the long history of wound care, no period has seen as dramatic a change as the last decade. The new paradigm of moist wound healing has significantly improved outcomes and has helped clinicians make knowledge-based decisions affecting the healing process.

Derma Sciences is at the forefront of this ongoing search for advanced knowledge and innovation in wound care. MEDIHONEY® dressings, containing Active Leptospermum Honey (ALH), address the many factors that cause delayed healing, assist with autolytic debridement and help promote a moist wound healing environment.

Making an impact on challenging wounds

Wounds can be challenging to manage due to a multitude of co-morbid and cascading factors8. These factors include necrotic tissue, bacterial imbalance, recurring physical trauma, and altered levels/composition of wound exudates.

The overall goal for wound bed preparation is to remove factors that delay healing9. Setting goal-oriented strategies can help you gain control over the wound environment and get the patient back on track towards healing. Appropriate goals such as maintaining the physiologic wound environment (e.g. debridement, cleansing, prevention/management of infection)10 and providing systemic support (e.g. edema reduction, nutrition, hydration) are foundational to the process.

MEDIHONEY’s high osmolarity helps create a moist wound healing environment which aids in debridement and removal of necrotic tissue. The low pH of MEDIHONEY helps to lower the pH of the wound, helping to improve O2 diffusion and reducing protease levels11.

The Role of Medihoney® in Debridement

  1. Autolytic debridement
    During autolysis the body breaks down tissue or cells. A moist environment, created by ALH dressings, aids the body’s own process of moisturizing and re-hydrating, thus loosening and liquefying necrotic tissue.
  2. Osmolarity
    ALH creates an osmotic effect, which occurs when the high sugar content of honey facilitates movement of fluid from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Lymph fluid is drawn from the deeper tissue to the wound surface. The constant flow of lymph fluid cleanses debris and lifts necrotic tissue from the wound.
  3. Plasminogen Conversion
    The osmotic effect constantly replenishes plasminogen at the surface of the wound. Plasminogen is then converted to plasmin which breaks the adhesion of necrotic tissue at the wound surface. The constant outflow of fluid helps to gently lift necrotic tissue.
  4. Reduction in pH
    The failure of a chronic wound to heal has been correlated with alkaline pH levels. The surface pH of chronic wounds has been reported to range from 7.15 to 8.94. ALH has a low pH of 3.5 – 4.5, which helps to reduce the pH of the wound environment. It contributes to the acidic environment that promotes healing. This is in part due to the fact that a reduction in pH has been shown to decrease protease activity, therefore diminishing the production of slough. Further, lowering the pH by 0.6 units shifts the oxygen/hemoglobin curve to the right, causing a release of almost 50% more oxygen, which fuels the cellular functions essential to the repair process. As shown in the Gethin study, use of ALH demonstrated an average pH lowered from 7.72 to 7.26 (p<0.001). Each 0.1 decrease in pH was associated with an 8.1% reduction in wound size (p<0.01).

Dressings that can be used from the start of the wound through to closure can help make wound management easier

MEDIHONEY®, with Active Leptospermum Honey, (ALH) is the global leading medical-grade honey-based product line for the management of wounds and burns. Derived from the Leptospermum scoparium species of plant in New Zealand, these unique dressings contain plant-derived properties beneficial throughout all phases of the wound healing.

Due to its multiple properties for healing, MEDIHONEY is a first-line choice for the management of challenging wounds and for helping to facilitate fast, effective debridement of necrotic tissue.

MEDIHONEY® Gel

(Active Leptospermum Honey content - 80%)

  • 80% Active Leptospermum Honey and 20% Natural gelling agents. Provides increased stability at the site of the wound due to its
  • natural gelling agents.

Usage suggestions:

  • This natural and non-toxic honey dressing can be used safely on superficial to full thickness wounds

MEDIHONEY® Paste

(Active Leptospermum Honey content - 100%)

  • For use in hard-to-dress wounds and other wounds that would normally require a gel or paste

Usage suggestions:

  • This all natural and non-toxic honey dressing can be used safely in tunneled wounds or wounds with undermining
  • An optional accessory applicator tip comes in each box, to help facilitate application into tough-to-reach areas

MEDIHONEY® HCS

(Active Leptospermum Honey content - 63%)

  • Combines the healing properties of Leptospermum Honey with
    the handling capability of Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) technology
  • Absorbs 2.5x the amount of fluid of leading hydrocolloids12
  • Is cooling and soothing upon application
  • Two versions: Adhesive and non-adhesive
  • Both versions absorb light to moderate amounts of exudate

Usage suggestions:

  • For dry to moderately exuding superficial to partial thickness wounds

MEDIHONEY® Calcium Alginate

(Active Leptospermum Honey content - 95%)

  • Honey impregnated into a calcium alginate dressing
  • As wound fluid enters the dressing, the honey is released while the dressing absorbs and forms a gel

Usage suggestions:

  • Used in the same fashion as a typical calcium alginate or other gelling fiber dressing

MEDIHONEY® Dressing Selection Guide

A Guideline for Care – MEDIHONEY® Dressing, Application and Removal

  • Wash hands thoroughly
  • Apply gloves
  • Assess the wound. Look for signs of healing. Also look for any signs of increased redness, pain, swelling, or heat within or around the wound*
  • Cleanse the wound and skin around the wound with sterile saline, sterile water, or other safe wound cleansers
  • Dry the skin around the wound by patting gently with gauze
  • Protect the skin around the wound to avoid maceration. Apply a skin protectant barrier wipe or barrier ointment. (An initial increase in exudates may occur as a result of the highly osmotic effect of MEDIHONEY®)
  • Choose a MEDIHONEY® dressing that is appropriate for the amount of drainage. (MEDIHONEY® dressing or MEDIHONEY® Gel for light to moderate exudates, wounds that are hard to dress, or those that require a wound gel or paste; MEDIHONEY® HCS for dry to moderate exudates that are superficial to partial thickness wounds; MEDIHONEY® Calcium Alginate dressing for moderate to heavy exudates; MEDIHONEY® Honeycolloid dressing for light to moderate exudates)
  • Apply the appropriate MEDIHONEY® dressing to fit the wound. The MEDIHONEY® Calcium Alginate and Non-adhesive Honeycolloid can be cut to fit within the wound edges.
  • Apply an absorbent cover dressing (XTRASORB® super absorbent dressings are recommended due to the highly osmotic effect of MEDIHONEY®)
  • Dressing change: Remove the dressing gently. If the dressing is difficult to remove, moisten with saline or water. Discard the old dressing in a disposal bag.

* The healthcare provider should be notified if the wound worsens. Report increased redness, pain, swelling, or heat on or around the wound.

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