Medical Honey for Wound Care—Still the ‘Latest Resort’?

While the ancient Egyptians and Greeks used honey for wound care, and a broad spectrum of wounds are treated all over the world with natural unprocessed honeys from different sources, Medihoney™ has been one of the first medically certified honeys licensed as a medical product for professional wound care in Europe and Australia. Our experience with medical honey in wound care refers only to this product. In this review, we put our clinical experience into a broader perspective to comment on the use of medical honey in wound care. More prospective randomized studies on a wider range of types of wounds are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of medical honey in wound care. Nonetheless, the current evidence confirming the antibacterial properties and additional beneficial effects of medical honey on wound healing should encourage other wound care professionals to use CE-certified honey dressings with standardized antibacterial activity, such as Medihoney™ products, as an alternative treatment approach in wounds of different natures

Oral glucose solution to alleviate pain induced by intramuscular injections in preterm infants

WOS: 000347951100004PubMed ID: 25378034PurposeThe purpose was to assess the effectiveness of 5% oral glucose solution in reducing pain in preterm infants during intramuscular injection. Design and MethodsWe conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled, unblinded trial to investigate the effect of glucose solution on the pain of intramuscular injection in preterm infants (N = 80). ResultsInfants who received oral glucose had significantly lower pain scores (p < .001), less crying time (p < .001), higher oxygen saturation (p < .001), and lower heart rate after compared with during the procedure (p = .02). Practice ImplicationsOur results suggest that oral glucose, even if used in the lowest dose, may have a pain-relieving effect in preterm infants if administered pre-procedure

Predictive Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Risk Assessment Pressure Sore Scale in Intensive Care Patients: Results of a Prospective Study

WOS: 000370316800003PubMed ID: 25853378Multiple pressure ulcer (PU) risk assessment instruments have been developed and tested, but there is no general consensus on which instrument to use for specific patient populations and care settings. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and predictive validity of the Turkish version of the Risk Assessment Pressure Sore (RAPS) instrument, which includes 12 variables - 5 from the modified Norton Scale, 3 from the Braden Scale, and 3 from other research results - for use in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The English version of the RAPS instrument was translated into Turkish and tested for internal consistency and predictive validity (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value) using a convenience sample of 122 patients consecutively admitted to an ICU unit in Turkey. The patients were assessed within 24 hours of admission, and after that, once a week until the development of a PU or discharge from the unit. The incidence of PUs in this population was 23%. The majority of ulcers that developed were Stage I. Internal consistency of the RAPS tool was adequate (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). The best balance between sensitivity and specificity for ICU patients was reached at a cut-off point of <= 27 (ie, sensitivity = 74.2%, specificity = 31.8%, positive predictive value = 38.7%, and negative predictive value 91.3%). This is lower than the cut-off point reported in other studies of the RAPS scale. In this population of ICU patients, the RAPS scale was found to have acceptable reliability and poor validity. Additional studies to evaluate the predictive validity and reliability of the RAPS scale in other patient populations and care settings are needed