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Thread: treating battlefield wounds with Sugar/Honey

  1. #51
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    Here's a small study that directly investigates the antimicrobial effects of sugar:

    http://www.ijest.info/docs/IJEST10-02-03-24.pdf

    Their results show that a 2.5% concentration of sugar effectively retards bacterial growth for several days in their test protocol.

    No directly applicable to wound care, but interesting nonetheless as evidence that sugar has antimicrobial properties.

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by cdb View Post
    Here's a small study that directly investigates the antimicrobial effects of sugar:

    http://www.ijest.info/docs/IJEST10-02-03-24.pdf

    Their results show that a 2.5% concentration of sugar effectively retards bacterial growth for several days in their test protocol.

    No directly applicable to wound care, but interesting nonetheless as evidence that sugar has antimicrobial properties.
    So does the sulfa powder that they used in wounds in WWII. Certainly a more effective antibacterial source, not to mention quite a bit more practical. If topical antibiotics were an important component of acute wound care these days, we could certainly come up with something more effective than a breakfast condiment.

    Anyway, yes. Honey is bacteriostatic. The reason it can sit edible in your cupboard for so long.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hmac View Post
    So does the sulfa powder that they used in wounds in WWII. Certainly a more effective antibacterial source, not to mention quite a bit more practical. If topical antibiotics were an important component of acute wound care these days, we could certainly come up with something more effective than a breakfast condiment.

    Anyway, yes. Honey is bacteriostatic. The reason it can sit edible in your cupboard for so long.
    As I said, not directly applicable to wound care. Only posted for the benefit of those earlier in the thread who expressed concern that sugar increases bacterial growth.

    I would never consider sugar as it might just as easily provide a growth medium for bacteria.
    I would suggest no. I do not like the idea of putting a sugary organic material in a wound that is most likely laden with bacteria. That is just a setup for trouble.
    Regarding the fear of giving sugar to bacteria, I am not sure. There is one school of thought that goes: excess sugar is used to preserve fruit, because in high concentrations, sugar makes for a hostile environment for bacteria...

    I'd like to see any scientific evidence...

  4. #54
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    The problem with a specific concentration of sugar is that it doesn't maintain that concentration unless you keep adding sugar.

    The osmotic effect pulls fluid from the system and dilutes the concentration, eventually becoming a medium for bugs.

    Honey is always bacteriostatic by its nature. Sugar is not.

    That said, just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.

    I've yet to see anyone make a convincing case that sugar has a realistic role to play other than in coffee.

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