Wounds

USE OF HONEY AND SILVER SULFADIAZINE IN MANAGEMENT OF WOUNDS affiliation Use of honey and silver sulfadiazine in management of wounds
In management of healing, honey and silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene) can be used to enhance the healing process. Honey has a product enhances healing of wounds through various ways. Firstly it promotes the healing process with minimal damaging to cells that are regenerating. Secondly, it prevents inflammation and at the same time subsiding pain rapidly. Moreover, honey helps in stopping those unpleasant smells that come from wounds. In addition, it enhances regeneration of cells by removal of dead tissues painlessly. Lastly, due to its potency in anti-inflammation honey is used for first aid on patients with burns.
On the other hand silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene) increases wound healing time as compared to honey which reduces healing process. However, silvadene has not shown any evidence in inhibition of wound infection effectively but works by inhibiting the growth of bacteria from scattering to surrounding skin or to the blood and causing blood infection.(Kaufman, 2008) Besides that, pain is not uncommon and is felt by patients from time to time and clear fluid known as aseptic exudate may also form on the wound surfaces.
In this scenario, the nurse will have to uphold the patients’ use of honey for wound healing this can be attributed to the fact that honey has lesser side effects as compared to silvadene, moreover, silvadene being an antibiotic, any misuse of this drug will lead to bacterial resistance. With that in mind it will not be prudent to reinstate the use of the drug after it was stopped prematurely since this will be increasing the possibilities of bacterial resistance occurring. Lastly, the use of silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene) possess much worse side effects as compared to honey which is the reason for upholding continued use of honey as an alternative.
References
Kaufman, J. L. (2008). Management of acute cutaneous wounds. The New England Journal of Medicine. doi: 10. 1056/NEJMra0707253