In this review, the latest information on the mode of action of manuka honey, which is used for the production of most currently available medical grade honeys (Kwakman, 2011b), will be compared and contrasted with silver, in an attempt to show that manuka honey is an effective alternative antibacterial product to silver for the prevention and management of wound infection.

Honey and silver are traditional wound therapies that are still used in modern clinical practice. Whereas silver is one of the most common antimicrobial agents used in wound management (Leaper, 2011), more scepticism surrounds the use of honey, despite accumulating evidence of its efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Both antimicrobial interventions have a place in modern formularies, due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Yet medical devices containing either inhibitor vary in their formulations and delivery mechanisms, making generalisations unwise.