Common problem in hospitals and healthcare institutions is microbial contamination of
surfaces, including textile fabrics, which can lead to infections and, consequently, to crossinfections.
Irrespective of their applications, internal (surgical threads and various implants) or
external (various extracorporeal devices such as catheters and hollow fibers for dialyzers,
gauzes, bandages, nappies, tampons), medical textiles have to be comprised of basic bioactive
properties, especially antimicrobial. Also, it is extremely important for protective clothing
(surgical masks, caps, gowns, etc.) and hospital linen to meet the demands for antimicrobial
protection.
As a consequence, the number of different technological approaches, antimicrobial agents
and methods of binding them to the substrate, suitable for textiles, has increased significantly.
The development of new antimicrobials with enhanced activity is an ongoing topic of research
and targets products ranging from synthetic to naturally based biocides: quaternary ammonium
compounds, dyes and regenerable N-halamines, polyhexamethylene biguanides, peroxyacids,
metals and metal oxides (silver, copper, titanium, cobalt, etc.), chitosan, essential oils, enzymes,
natural pigments, etc.
This article offers an overview of some contemporary antimicrobial agents used as
functional finishing for textiles intended for biomedical applications. It reviews only the
synthetic organic compounds, namely quaternary ammonium compounds, halogenated phenols,
polybiguanides, N-halamines, and renewable peroxides, as part of an extensive study. Taking
into consideration various criteria, antimicrobial activity, toxicity, durability and ecological
acceptability, these agents can be divided into several groups, as follows: biocides and biostats,
leaching and bound antimicrobials, controlled-release and barrier-forming agents, and agents
with poor and good washing resistance [1]. Since the societal demand for medical textiles with
biocide activity is growing, as well as their disposal, the importance of the environmental point
of view increased. Therefore, the research has focused on the design and synthesis of new
antimicrobials able to covalently bond to the fibers surface, in order to replace the leaching ones.
Thus, textiles finishing stability increased with beneficial impact on their medical applications.
Examples of commercial antimicrobial products are presented herein, as well as the
corresponding finishing methods.
References:
1. Khanna, G. Antimicrobial finishes for textiles. Melliand International, 2006, 2, pp. 146-151.