A One Year Randomised Controlled Trial to Compare the Effectiveness of Honey Dressing vs. Povidone Iodine Dressing for Diabetic Foot Ulcer at Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital & MRC, Belagavi

Abstract

Background and objectives The increasing prevalence of diabetes has resulted in concomitant illnesses. The critical effects of hyperglycemia include micro-vascular complications (nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy) and macro-vascular complications (coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease). Diabetes is a leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputation, which is often preceded by a non-healing ulcer. Dressing plays a major role in healing of wounds in combination with debridment. This study compared the effectiveness of Honey dressing with povidone iodine dressing of grade 2 diabetic foot ulcers. Honey is one such product which is a collection of nectar from many plants, which is processed by honey bees. Honey is well known for its high nutritional and medicinal value. Honey has potent antibacterial activity which is useful in preventing and removing wound infections. It has been used as a wound care product since decades, and its use as a wound healing agent was reported for treating, chronic leg ulcers, burns wounds from many years. Objective of this study is to find out the effect of honey dressing when compared with povidone iodine dressing for reduction of wound size in diabetic foot ulcer. Materials and methods This one year randomized controlled trail was done in Department of General Surgery, KLES Dr.Prabhakar Kore hospital, Belagavi from January 2017 to December 2017. A total of 64 Diabetic Patients taking insulin or oral hyperglycaemic and suffering from with Wagners grade 1 and 2 diabetic foot ulcers which are not healed were enrolled. These patients were divided into two groups of 32 each that is vi Group A (Patients in this group underwent dressing with Unprocessed Honey) and Group B ((Patients in this group underwent dressing with povidone iodine). Results The mean wound size in honey dressing was 23.16 cm2 at baseline, 23.16 cm2 at 1st day follow up, 23.16 cm2 at 3rd day follow up, 19.38 cm2 at 5th day follow up, 16.13 cm2 at 7th day follow up, 12.44 cm2 at 10th day follow up and the end of 15th day, it was 10.69 cm2. The difference in the wound size in Honey dressing group at 1st day, 3rd day, at5th day, 7th day, 10th day follow up period with baseline value were statistically not significant (P value >0.05). The difference in the wound size in honey dressing group at 15th day follow up period with baseline value were statistically significant (P value <0.05). The mean wound size in povidone dressing was 23.03 cm2 at base line, 22.94 cm2 at 1st day follow up, 22.94 cm2 at 3rd day follow up, 20.28 cm2 at 5th day follow up, 17.06 cm2 at 7th day follow up, 16.13 cm2 at 10th day follow up and the end of 15th day, it was 15.06 cm2. The difference in the wound size in Povidone Iodine at 1st day, 3rd day, at5th day, 7th day, 10th day follow up period with baseline value were statistically not significant (P value >0.05) and the difference in the wound size in honey dressing at 15th day follow up period was statistically signicicant (P value <0.05). Conclusion This study shows more favourable results with honey dressing as compared with povidone iodine dressing for reduction of wound size in diabetic foot ulcers.