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INTRODUCTION
The specialty of wound care is one that has expanded exponentially in modern times with a plethora of theories and
technologies, including wound bed preparation, the role of proteases, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT),
and an almost bewildering array of dressing formulations, from antimicrobials to larval-based products. However,
for the clinician on the ground who may not have time to appraise all the theory — or indeed afford all of the new
technologies — there is still a high premium placed on having a range of wound care dressings that can be used on a
variety of wounds, are simple to use, patient-friendly, and — increasingly important in this day and age — cost-effective
(Chandan et al, 2009).
To this end, Advancis Medical offers a series of dressing options for the clinician to choose from depending on the
patient’s needs, whether this be a primary non-adherent foam dressing for use under compression (Advazorb
®
); a soft
silicone wound contact layer that protects the periwound skin (Silflex
®
); or a superabsorbent dressing that can be used to
manage excess exudate production (Eclypse
®
). The aim is for the breadth of this product range to meet clinical need and
improve patient outcomes.
However, an area as diverse as wound care demands constant innovation and to further meet the needs of patients,
Advancis Medical has created Actilite Protect
®
, a dressing that combines the silicone, foam and honey technology found
across the company’s wound care range to create one unique dressing.
ACTILITE PROTECT
®
Faced with a growing incidence of chronic and acute wounds, clinicians need practical solutions as well as theories.
Fortunately, among the advances borne out of our greater understanding of wounds are new dressing technologies
designed to combat some of the conditions that lead to poor healing, as well as the symptoms that cause such distress
for patients. Actilite Protect
®
(Advancis Medical) is one such dressing. Comprising a hydrophilic foam dressing with
a soft silicone wound contact layer and border, it also contains medical grade Manuka honey and a Manuka oil
dissolvable film.
Upon contact with exudate, the film forms a ‘gel-like’ substance absorbing exudate while maintaining the moist wound
healing environment crucial to wound healing. Simultaneously, the honey/oil contained within the dressing directly
penetrates the wound, working to combat the action of harmful bacteria. Actilite Protect is designed for use on the full
range of wounds, including chronic leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers and infected wounds, as well as acute skin
tears and post-surgical wounds.
HONEY
Medical grade honey (a specifically manufactured product that is sterilised to remove impurities or potential bacteria)
has been shown to have many applications in wound care, particularly when used as part of a dressing’s composition.
Honey has a gentle debriding effect on a wound, creating a moist wound environment that facilitates autolysis by
drawing fluid from the wound through powerful osmotic action, while simultaneously rehydrating devitalised tissue
(Gethin and Cowman, 2008; Evans and Mahoney, 2013). Honey’s broad spectrum of action against bacteria has been
widely reported and its antibacterial action can even have an effect on resistant strains of bacteria such as meticillin-
resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus
(Wahdan, 1998). It has also been able to kickstart healing in wounds that have been
previously unresponsive to antibiotics (Dunford, 2000). Honey has been shown to be effective on a variety of different
wound types including venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, burns, surgical wounds, necrotising fasciitis and oncological
wounds (White, 2005a).
Honey’s wound care properties
Anti-inflammatory
The antioxidants in honey produce an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces the amount of exudate, slough and
devitalised tissue in the wound bed (Bradbury et al, 2014). It also acts against the over-inflammation that can impede
healing, while simultaneously promoting angiogenesis (Bainbridge, 2013).
Antimicrobial properties
Honey is typically made up of 80% sugar and 17% water. The sugar binds the water molecules making it impossible for
microbes to use them. An enzyme which is added to the honey as it matures — glucose oxidase — converts some of
the glucose to gluconic acid which creates a hostile environment that is too acidic for microbes to thrive (White, 2005a).
This conversion also produces hydrogen peroxide which acts as a broad spectrum antiseptic (White, 2005a). Honey
can prevent the formation of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
biofilm i
n vitro
in laboratory studies, as well as inhibiting and
JCN supplement
2015,Vol 29, No 4