Development of wash-resistant antimicrobial compression covers for amputated limbs

Abstract Medical textiles for amputee care during postoperative, rehabilitation, and prosthetic period play an important role in the effective correction of stump formation. Treatment of amputations involves not only initial stabilization, but also create conditions for the formation of a stump optimal for effective prosthetics. At the stage of amputation, the use of functional compression covers that provide uniform pressure from the distal to the proximal area of the stump is particularly effective. Additional antimicrobial treatment of the covers can prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria on the wound surface of the amputated limb. The article deals with the issue of antimicrobial activity of functional knitted covers for rehabilitation purposes with a combination of compression and antimicrobial activity resistant to repeated washings. To impart antimicrobial properties, two methods of surface modification of knitted fabrics were used: treatment with copper sulphate and hydrazine sulphate as reducing agents, and use of phenyl phenolic intensifier in a dye bath. Furthermore, an effect of multiple washing on the compression alteration and antimicrobial activity of knitted compression covers was investigated. It was found that the most effective method to ensure the wash-resistant antimicrobial activity of knitted compression covers is surface modification using a phenyl phenolic intensifier in the dye bath. After multiple washes, compression class of the most of the developed compression knitted covers did not change, what ensures proper compression treatment of amputated limbs.