1. Exomphalos major: Conservative management using Manuka honey dressings and an outreach surgical nursing team
- Author
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Bernadette Reda, Oliver Gee, Max J. Pachl, G Suren Arul, Tracey Hill, Anthony Lander, Ingo Jester, Louise Lawrence, Giampiero Soccorso, Michael Singh, and Elizabeth Gavens
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Surgical nursing ,Conservative management ,Crepe bandage ,Birth weight ,Conservative Treatment ,Manuka Honey ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Perioperative Nursing ,030225 pediatrics ,Humans ,Medicine ,Early discharge ,business.industry ,General surgery ,Infant, Newborn ,Honey ,General Medicine ,Bandages ,Outreach ,Regimen ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Surgery ,business ,Hernia, Umbilical - Abstract
Introduction Controversy exists over the best dressing for conservative management of exomphalos major. Here we describe our experience of using Manuka Honey. Methods Our regimen involved covering the sac with Manuka honey (Advancis Medical™) wrapped with gauze and crepe bandage. Initially, dressings were changed 3 times a week and then twice weekly until full epithelialisation. Babies went home after reaching full feeds, with our outreach nurses continuing dressings in clinic until the parents were trained to do them alone. Only patients needing management of co-morbidities were transferred to our unit. Patients would be reviewed by video consultation. Data was prospectively collected. Results From 2011–2019, 24 consecutive patients (11:13 M:F; median gestation 37 weeks, birth weight 3.1 kg) with exomphalos major were managed with honey dressings. Fourteen babies had significant associated anomalies of which 10 died of problems unrelated to the exomphalos. Time to full feeds 6 (2-58) days; time to discharge 21(7–66) days if no associated anomalies; time to epithelialisation 73 (27–199) days. Dressings were well tolerated. Definitive closure occurred at 17(11–38) months and was uneventful. No patient required fundoplication and all patients were orally fed. Only one patient developed a clinically significant infection. Conclusion This is the largest report of using Manuka honey for the management of exomphalos major. Benefits include early feeding, early discharge and a ‘normalisation’ of the neonatal period. Key to our success was the surgical outreach service supporting parents doing the dressings, first at the local hospital and then at home.
- Published
- 2021
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