Effectiveness of honey dressing in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Honey dressing has been applied in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). However, there is a lack of research showing ample evidence that honey dressing is more effective in the treatment of DFUs than other dressings. This study aimed to examine the effects of honey dressing on wound-healing process for DFUs.

Method: We searched for evidence regarding honey dressing used in the treatment of DFUs in various databases. We selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies for meta-analysis.

Results: The meta-analysis showed that honey dressing effectively shortened the wound debridement time, wound healing time, and bacterial clearance time; it increased the wound healing rate and bacterial clearance rate during the first one to two weeks of use.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that honey dressing effectively promotes healing in DFUs. Further research is needed to elucidate these findings so that this form of treatment can be widely applied.