CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the best available evidence regarding sterilised banana leaf dressings for wound management?
SUMMARY
Limited evidence is available on effectiveness in the management of partial thickness burns, skin graft donor sites and surgical incisions.

CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the best available evidence regarding sterile potato peel dressings for wound management?
SUMMARY
Potato peel dressings (PPD) provide a low cost, traditional wound dressing option for the management of several types of wounds.

CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the best available evidence on the use of tea tree oil preparations in managing chronic wounds?
SUMMARY
Tea tree oil is an essential oil traditionally used for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the best available evidence for opically applied aloe vera for promoting healing in burns?
SUMMARY
Aloe vera is a succulent plant that has traditionally been used for natural wound healing. Because it has a high water content, aloe vera promotes moist wound healing and is described as soothing on application.

CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the best available evidence on the use of coconut products in wound management and treatment of skin conditions?
SUMMARY
Various parts of the coconut tree have been used for a multitude of purposes in traditional medicine for thousands of years . Parts of the coconut that are commonly used include the coconut water, oil from the milk or copra (dried kernel), dried shell and husk fibre.

CLINICAL QUESTION
What is the best available evidence for use of traditional hypochlorite solutions for reducing wound infection and/or improving wound healing?
SUMMARY
Traditional hypochlorites have been used to manage local wound infection since their introduction in the early 1900s. The risk of delaying wound healing (due to cytotoxicity) should be considered in the context of managing local wound infection.

PHMB is available as solution, gel or impregnated in wound dressings. Research indicates that PHMB has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against gram positive and negative bacteria (including biofilms), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), fungus and viruses.

Tea tree oil is an essential oil traditionally used for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Acetic acid is a traditional antiseptic with an ancient history claimed to go back more than 6,000 years.It is readily available, inexpensive and does not have systemic adverse effects.

Citric acid has been used as a low cost option for managing a wide range of chronic wounds which have not responded to conventional management. Sensitivity of a range of bacteria, including multiple antibiotic-resistant organisms, has been demonstrated

Traditional hypochlorites have been used to manage local wound infection since their introduction in the early 1900S. There is some evidence that they can be used to manage wound infection and improve healing, options with lower cytotoxicity should be preferred.

Research on antibacterial effectiveness in of chlorhexidine in very low concentration has been conducted in laboratory settings. Selection of alternative antiseptics appropriate for the clinical context should be preferred.

Hydrogen peroxide should not be used as a preferred topical wound agent, and its use should be totally avoided in cavity wounds due to risk of surgical emphysema and gas embolus

Iodophors ombine elemental iodine with a surfactant for use in decreasing wound surface bacteria. The two iodophors commonly used in wound management are povidone iodine (PVP-I) and cadexomer iodine.

Despite the wide use of coconut products for medicinal purposes by populations in tropical regions, there are only a few clinical studies of its effectiveness in treating skin conditions and no studies were identified on their use in wound management.

Potato peel dressings (PPD) provide a low cost, traditional wound dressing option for the management of several types of wounds.

Limited evidence is available on effectiveness in the management of partial thickness burns, skin graft donor sites and surgical incisions.

Despite a long history in low-to-middle resource countries of clinical use of papaya for managing wounds, limited high level research has been conducted on the effectiveness of papaya-based products. Evidence was available for natural papaya pulp wound dressings and papain extract.

Turmeric (C. longa) is a spice harvested in India and other Asian countries that has traditionally been used to treat many ailments, including skin conditions. . It has been used traditionally to treat skin conditions including psoriasis, redness, erythema, pain and burning.

Turmeric (C.  longa) is a spice prepared from a rhizome, with curcumin being the active chemical substance. It is recognised as having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiseptic effects.

Granular/crystalized white sugar is readily accessible in most geographic regions. It has been used as a wound treatment for hundreds of years because it is sterile, non-toxic, absorbs fluid and has some antimicrobial properties.

Despite the wide use of coconut products for medicinal purposes by populations in tropical regions, there are only a few clinical studies of its effectiveness in treating skin conditions and no studies were identified on their use in wound management.

Potato peel dressings (PPD) provide a low cost, traditional wound dressing option for the management of several types of wounds.

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that has traditionally been used for natural wound healing. The gel is cooling and is traditionally used to manage pain, particularly in burns.

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic infection spread by mosquito in tropical countries. The disease course is primarily asymptomatic but includes episodic acute disease that can become chronic. Prevention of disease is the most effective management strategy.

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic infection spread by mosquito in tropical countries. Management focuses on reducing severity and frequency of acute outbreaks.