A Comparison of Honey and Standard Dressings on Microorganisms in Open Tibia Fractures

Open tibia fractures, particularly from high-energy trauma, are often infected, making treatment difficult. Honey, with its antibacterial characteristics, has been recommended as an alternative to standard wound dressings. This study compares the efficacy of honey dressings versus standard dressings in reducing microorganism presence in open tibia fractures. This a randomized, open-label, parallel-group experiment study done at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Rwanda. Honey or regular saline dressings were randomly assigned to 98 Gustilo IIIA open tibia fracture patients. Days one and five wound assessments, bacterial cultures, and antibiotic sensitivities. Microorganism decrease was the main outcome, while wound size, infection rates, pain, and other wound characteristics were supplementary metrics. Statistical analysis was conducted with STATA 23 and a significance level of p<0.05. On Day one, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of microorganism presence or wound characteristics. However, by Day five, Honey dressing group showed a significant reduction in bacterial presence compared to the control group, with 82% of the honey-treated wounds showing no bacterial growth versus 62.5% in the control group. Honey dressings were particularly effective in reducing Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas spp. infections. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns were similar between groups, although Honey-treated wounds exhibited slightly increased sensitivity to chloramphenicol combinations. In conclusion, Honey dressings reduced antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in open tibia fractures better than standard dressings on day five. These data suggest that Honey may be a feasible alternative to traditional wound care for open fractures, especially in resource-limited settings. These findings should be confirmed by larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups.