What is hydrophobic interaction?
Why do microorganisms have hydrophobic structures, and what is
their natural purpose?
What is the benefit of the Sorbact method?
What gives Cutimed Sorbact its strongly hydrophobic properties?
Does Cutimed Sorbact release any substances into the wound?
A unique mode of action to bind and inactivate wound bacteria and fungi by hydrophobic interaction without using any antiseptic or antibiotic agents. It is based on the binding of hydrophobic structures on bacterial cell surfaces to the strongly hydrophobic coating of Cutimed Sorbact fabric.
Hydrophobic interaction is a basic physical principle: When two hydrophobic (= water repellent) particles become in contact in an aqueous environment, they will bind to each other with help from the surrounding water molecules which hold them together.
Cell surface hydrophobicity is one of the microorganism's natural prerequisites to take in food, to bind to surfaces or to each other e.g. for exchange of genetic information. The adherence of bacteria to tissue cells by hydrophobic interaction is the first step of infection.
Cutimed Sorbact does not release any chemically active substances into the wound as e.g. silver dressings or other common antiseptics do. Therefore potential risks like bacterial resistance or cytotoxicity can be ruled out completely.
Common bactericidal antiseptics destroy bacterial cells which can promote bacterial endotoxin release. By simply binding the microorganisms Cutimed Sorbact eliminates this risk.
All Cutimed Sorbact dressings can be used without hesitation during pregnancy or breastfeeding as well as in infants.
The fabric of Cutimed Sorbact is coated with the derivative of a natural fatty acid (DACC, dialcyl carbamoyl chloride). Its long alkyl groups make for strong hydrophobicity and therefore bacteria binding properties of Cutimed Sorbact dressings.
The special bacteria binding coating is firmly bound to the fabric fibres and will not be released into the wound. Cutimed Sorbact does not use any active substances to achieve microbial balance in the wound but works by a purely physical method.
