Products: L-Mesitran Ointment
Case study performed by: Smaropoulos, Eleftherios MD, PhD; Cremers, Niels A. J. PhD
A male newborn, born prematurely at 28 weeks following in vitro fertilization (IVF), was hospitalized due to respiratory difficulties. A vascular line was inserted into a vein in the mid-axillary area, and the infant received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and medications for 72 hours. On the third day, an extravasation injury occurred, leading to arterial thrombosis in the finger arteries of the right hand.
Method: Attempts to prevent ischemia using warm dressings, massage, vasodilator creams, and allopurinol were unsuccessful. Heparin was not used due to the risk of bleeding. After finger amputation, the wound was treated with L-Mesitran, a medical-grade honey (MGH) product.
Results:Three days after the injury, dry gangrene developed in fingers 2 to 5. Conservative treatment failed, and on the 15th day, amputation was necessary to preserve tissue. No skin flaps or substitutes were used, only medical honey was applied daily. Healing progressed rapidly, with epithelialization starting on the third day, near-complete closure by the tenth day, and full closure by the fifteenth day. After seven months, the outcome was aesthetically excellent, with minimal scarring and fully functional fingers.
In preterm newborns, intravenous catheters are often inserted to administer fluids, nutrition, and medications. However, the delicate skin of newborns is prone to extravasation injuries. Evidence-based treatments for these injuries are limited, which is why the effectiveness of medical honey for wound care in these vulnerable patients was explored.
Medical honey was well tolerated, with no pain or adverse effects observed, demonstrating its safety for use in newborns and infants. This case study expands knowledge on the use of medical honey for wound care in pediatrics and offers a safe and cost-effective treatment for skin injuries in intensive care units.