Honey has long been known to have antibacterial properties and used to prevent infection . In fact , honey is touted as an alternative to antibiotics to ward off infection for patients with renal failure .
Renal failure patients undergoing dialysis therapy sometimes experience an infection from a catheter inserted into their bodies . The infection is then often treated with antibiotics . Meanwhile , honey with quality "medical - grade " is considered capable of being one of the alternatives .
However, a new study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases found , Applying honey on the wound catheter was not more effective than antibiotic consumption . Particularly if used in patients who undergo dialysis every day through a tube in the stomach .
Plus , according to the study , many volunteers who stop in the middle because the study was not comfortable with the method of application of honey .
Catheter infections can be very dangerous and life-threatening , so the treatment or prevention of infection needs to be done . However, attempts to use antibiotics also not without risk . Prolonged use may result in microbial resistance to antibiotics .
Meanwhile , previous research suggests that the quality of medical - grade honey , which has been through a series sterilization process , effective against a broad spectrum of microbes without having the risk of resistance in later life .
In the new study , the researchers found no significant differences between those who every day are given the quality of honey in wound treatment catheter with those who consume antibiotics . The study involved 371 dialysis patients treated at 26 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand .The average time of first infection in the honey group was 16 months , and 18 months in the antibiotic group . In patients who also have diabetes , the shorter the time it is 11.6 months than in antibiotics .
" When honey is touted as an alternative to antibiotics of the future, but until now we are still advised to not use it regularly as a prevention of infection , " said chairman David Johnson Tudi , researchers from the Australian Kidney Trials Network and the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane , Australia .
