{"id":20597,"date":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/sessions\/honey-based-dressings-as-a-practical-evidence-informed-and-cost-effective-approach-to-wound-care-in-primary-care\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","slug":"honey-based-dressings-as-a-practical-evidence-informed-and-cost-effective-approach-to-wound-care-in-primary-care","status":"publish","type":"wsa_session","link":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/sessions\/honey-based-dressings-as-a-practical-evidence-informed-and-cost-effective-approach-to-wound-care-in-primary-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Honey-Based Dressings as a Practical, Evidence-Informed, and Cost-Effective Approach to Wound Care in Primary Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Wound care is a common task in family medicine, covering chronic ulcers, injuries, burns, and post-surgical wounds. In many primary-care settings, the high cost and limited supply of advanced dressings slow healing and widen care gaps. Honey, with its antimicrobial and healing properties, offers a practical alternative that fits these real-world constraints. However, primary-care experience using honey dressings is still rarely reported.This reflection integrates routine wound management in primary care during 2024\u20132025 with an evidence-informed comparison of peer-reviewed studies published from 2018\u20132025. Across approximately 60 cases, honey was applied after saline cleansing and covered with non-adherent gauze, with dressing changes every 24\u201348 hours. Outcomes were monitored through serial wound assessments. In parallel, findings were compared with randomized trials and meta-analyses evaluating wound-area reduction, infection clearance, healing time, and pain.While most studies on honey dressings originate from tertiary wound-care centers, this reflection highlights an underrepresented perspective: the integration of honey dressings within frontline family medicine. The experience demonstrates that honey is clinically effective, culturally acceptable, feasible for home-based care, and 30\u201350% more cost-saving than commercial dressings\u2014advantages rarely emphasized in the literature. This model is highly scalable for low-resource primary care environments.Clinical observations showed 25\u201340% wound-area reduction by day 14, early granulation by days 4\u20137, fewer signs of infection, and a 1\u20132 point drop in pain scores. Patients adhered well to home dressing changes, costs were 30\u201350% lower than advanced dressings, and referrals to secondary care decreased.Honey\u2019s biological actions\u2014osmotic debridement, low-level hydrogen peroxide activity, acidic pH, and anti-inflammatory effects\u2014combined with affordability and accessibility, align closely with core principles of family medicine: continuity of care, equity, practicality, gatekeeping, and patient empowerment. This low-cost, evidence-informed intervention enhances the capacity of family physicians to provide effective wound care despite resource limitations.Honey-based dressings represent a safe, effective, and feasible wound-care option for primary care. Their integration can accelerate healing, reduce costs, strengthen patient participation, and support more equitable wound management in underserved communities. This experience supports adopting honey-based protocols as a practical component of routine family medicine practice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-20597","wsa_session","type-wsa_session","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session\/20597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wsa_session"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}