An obese male patient 63 years) with Diabetes Type 2 had an infected wound on his right foot.  For 1 and a half months, sharp debridement and maggot therapy combined with systemic antibiotics were used to heal the wound. When unsuccessful, the attending surgeons decided to amputate the big toe to use the skin to reconstruct the large gap that was left after the sharp debridement. The wound now was infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

After 4 months,  the malodorous wound was still not healing. The doctors suggested amputation of his infected foot. However, the patient decided together with his GP to first try a honey based therapy before consenting to amputation. He started his treatment with L-Mesitran Ointment and Net after. 

The L-Mesitran Net was applied on the wound because the wound was heavily exudating. On top of that, Net and Ointment were applied and covered with absorbing gauze. The dressings were changed twice a day for two months until the exudate was reduced. Thereafter, it was sufficient to dress the wound once a day.

The malodour disappeared within 2 days of the start with the honey treatment, indicating the eradication of the Ps. aeruginosa. The wound healing was continuous and it was closing rapidly. 

The patient was hospitalized twice during the honey treatment for Ascites, suspected cancer and lymphadenopathy syndrome. The patient was prescribed furosemide and he underwent surgery for the Ascites.The honey treatment was continued during hospitalizations as well.

The patient lost a lot of weight during those hospitalizations: 50 kg in total. After the last hospitalisation, the wound started to heal rapidly again and full wound healing was achieved in 8 months.The patient reported no pain at dressing changes nor was any change in blood glucose levels reported. 

In this case, a 63 year old male obese patient underwent a toe amputation to close an infected wound but the infection persisted. Antibiotics were not able to control the infection. The honey based ointment removed the malodour in just a few days. 

Over a period of roughly 8 months, the wound decreased in size. The epithelial tissue was formed, resulting in a healed wound. The blood glucose level was not influenced by the honey treatment.The cost of materials were low in comparison to a complete amputation of the foot, which had been considered 8 months earlier. The patient was able to go back to work in 8 months.