Moisture and Wound Healing

Good hydration is the single most important external factor responsible for optimal wound healing. Unfortunately, available moisture retentive materials, products and devices require a certain expertise for application, are relatively expensive, may be associated with some serious complications and side effects, but most of all are impractical for application over large surface areas. We present our experience in exploring the wound healing effect of Moist Exposed Burn Ointment (MEBO – Julphar, Gulf Pharmaceutical industries, UAE), a newly introduced product capable of providing optimal moisture at the wound surface without overlying secondary occlusive dressing. Though the studies we have conducted have a limited scope, they have, however, demonstrated improved primary and secondary wound healing as well as extreme ease of application and practicality of this ointment in providing the necessary moist conditions for optimal healing as compared to some currently available labor intensive and time consuming moisture retaining products and devices. They have demonstrated also the beneficial prophylactic effect of the ointment on scar quality.