Clinical observations on the use of honcrivine in the chemical debridement of wounds

Abstract

Chronic and non healingwounds, necroticwounds and contused and devitalizedwounds require debridement to rid the wounds of all these impediments that encourage bacterial growth and multiplications with consequent impairment ofwound healing.Whereas there are severalmethods ofwound debridementwith their peculiar indications,merits and demerits, the idealmethod of debridement is yet to be discovered. The aim of this study is to investigate clinically the ability of honcrivine (honey plus acriflavine 0.1%) chemically debride variouswounds in routine clinical practice. One hundred and eighty nine consecutive  patients managed by the author between June 1995 and June 2005 were included in this study. They were 125 males and 64 females and their ages ranged between 6 and 78 years. Initially swab was taken for bacterial culture from each wound before being cleaned with normal saline, then dressed daily with gauze soaked in honcrivine. Bacterial culture was repeated fortnightly.Antibioticswere administered as dictated by culture and sensitivity report. Wound debridement progressed rapidly and impressivelywith necrotic and devitalized tissues aswell as tenacious pus and fibrin deposits being replaced with healthy granulation tissue. Patients age, sex and bacterial burden did not influence the rate of debridement, ratherwound age and necrotic burdenwere inversely proportional to the debridement rate. Honcrivine did not provoke any inflammatory response nor was any allergic reaction observed. It is one of the oldest remedies known to mankind and is still useful and versatile today as it was 2000 years ago. It is a very effective chemicalwound debridant.

Keywords: Chemical debridement, Acriflavine, honcrivine, honey