Effectiveness of Non-Processed Honey in Wound Management Among Patients in Surgical Ward in Kapkatet Sub County Hospital, Kericho County

Abstract

Dating back to ancient times, honey has been used religiously, nutritionally and therapeutically. It has been used in management of conditions and one would include the wounds. To assess the effectiveness of non-processed honey in wound management among patients with wounds in surgical ward in Kapkatet sub county hospital. Experimental study design was applied. The study was carried out at Kapkatet sub-County hospital within the surgical wards. The target population were 10 patients who have been admitted to Kapkatet hospital surgical ward with different kinds of acute wounds. The study used purposive sampling method. Questionnaires and observation methods were also used to collect the data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 software was used to analyze quantitative data. They were summarized in frequencies and means, presented in graph and tables. The University of Kabianga research ethics committee approved the study, approval number was ISERC/2023/0010, and Kapkatet district hospital administration. The research observed all ethical guidelines as required. All participants in the study (100%) reported awareness of honey in wound management. Three out of the five wounds (60%) in the treatment group were healed after 12 days, while only one out of five (20%) for control group. In the treatment group, where honey was used as an adjunct therapy, three out of five wounds were healed, resulting in a healing effectiveness of 60%. In contrast, in the control group receiving conventional management, only one out of five wounds healed, indicating a healing effectiveness of 20%. The most common complication reported was pain or discomfort, affecting 60% of the participants. Allergic reactions were experienced by 40% of the participants. Delayed wound healing and hyperglycemia were reported by 20% each. The treatment group demonstrated significant improvement in wound healing, with a higher proportion of healed wounds. This suggests the potential effectiveness of honey in promoting wound healing. However, complications associated with honey use, such as pain or discomfort, allergic reactions, delayed wound healing, and hyperglycemia, were observed in some cases.