The Effects of Oral Administration of a Traditional Product (ma-ol-asal morakab) in Comparison with Placebo on Prevention and Treatment of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia: A Randomized Double Blinded Clinical Trial

Mechanical ventilation-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common nosocomial disease defined as occurring 48 hours after initiation of mechanical ventilation. In the present study, the effect of oral consumption of the traditional medicinal product (a product containing honey, ginger, cardamom, alpinia, saffron, mastic, and cinnamon) on the prevention and treatment of VAP was investigated. The study was a randomized clinical trial, conducted on 41 intubated patients admitted to Loghman Hakim and Shohadaye Tajrish hospitals in Tehran during 2019-2020. Patients were divided into two groups including 19 cases (control) and 22 cases (intervention). In the intervention group, patients received 10 ml of mixed honey syrup (manufactured by Niyak Gorgan Pharmaceutical Factory) three times a day by gavage. In all patients, variables such as demographic information, underlying diseases, medications, duration of intubation, rate of VAP, and clinical and laboratory information were recorded and evaluated. The incidence of VAP based on the CPIS score was 50% and 47.36%  in the intervention and control group, respectively, showing no significant difference ​​(P≤0.558). Also, based on the analysis of the obtained data, no significant difference was found between the days of antibiotic treatment in patients with pneumonia. Based on the findings, this product had no effect on the rate of pneumonia caused by mechanical ventilation devices, but its positive effects were evident in stopping fever faster in the patients of the intervention group.