WASHINGTON -- Doctors at Georgetown University Hospital are using a sweet solution to help fight infections like the deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Almost three years ago, Josh Pennington suffered a quarter-size cut on his foot that never healed.

"Doc Attinger worked on it a few times and almost had it healed, but it would never stay healed," Pennington said.

Pennington and plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Attinger tried everything from topical treatments to skin grafts, but the blood vessel in Pennington's leg was permanently damaged.

"The injury damaged the blood supply permanently to his anterior leg where the wound was, and as a result, there wasn't enough blood for the wound to heal," Attinger said.

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When a friend suggested that Pennington try using honey, an old home remedy, he was game, and it was perfect timing. Attinger and the hospital's Center for Wound Healing was piloting a new program using MediHoney, a special, medical-grade honey that's used as a dressing for wounds and infections. It's made from an especially potent form of honey called manuka honey.

"We don't know why this honey works well, but it has antimicrobial capacities that other topicals don't have," Attinger said. "It may also stimulate, inhibit proteins that stop the healing. So it has a lot of things that we don't understand, that we're first discovering."

Pennington started using the honey in December. Doctors said the wound has shrunk almost 300 percent.

Attinger said since the program started, they've treated about 40 patients with MediHoney and have seen positive results in 75 percent of them. They're also finding it's helping patients with MRSA infections, which are resistant to many antibiotics and can be fatal.

Attinger said he believes Pennington's wound might finally heal thanks to the honey.

"I suspect that this is going to do it," he said. "It will heal the whole wound completely."

Manuka honey is a dark honey from New Zealand. Household types of honey might work, too, but doctors said they're finding best results with manuka.