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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
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A Sorbact dressing is a wound dressing built on Sorbact technology: a fabric coated with dialkylcarbamoyl chloride (DACC) that binds hydrophobic bacteria and fungi physically, so they are removed with the dressing rather than killed by a released agent. In the United States the family is sold as Cutimed Sorbact by BSN medical. This reference is for clinic staff, buyers and students who need to know what the product range is, how its forms differ and what its manufacturer says about handling.
What is a Sorbact dressing?
Sorbact (sold as Cutimed Sorbact, also searched as “Cutimed Sorbact dressings”) is a bacteria- and fungi-binding dressing family. Per the product listing on WoundSource, it works by a physical mechanism: microorganisms attach to the hydrophobic coating and are removed at dressing change, with no active substance released into the wound, and the manufacturer states antimicrobial resistance is not expected. Its listed antimicrobial effect lasts up to 7 days. Who uses it: clinicians and wound-care teams managing wounds where bioburden is a concern (the listed indications include chronic wounds such as venous leg ulcers, arterial ulcers and pressure injuries; post-operative dehisced or surgical wounds; lacerations and traumatic wounds; diabetic foot ulcers; colonized or infected wounds; and sinus wounds).
How a Sorbact dressing is built
The FDA 510(k) data for K143151 (checked 2026-11-07 via openFDA) covers Cutimed Sorbact Hydroactive, Hydroactive B and Cutimed Siltec Sorbact, submitted by BSN medical GmbH, with a “Substantially Equivalent” decision dated 2015-01-26 under product code FRO. The openFDA record lists the applicant, decision, date and product code only; it does not include a device description, so construction details should be taken from the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
What 510(k) clearance means here: a 510(k) decision means FDA found the device substantially equivalent to a legally marketed predicate. It is a premarket notification pathway, not a statement that a dressing heals wounds better than another. openFDA lists product code FRO under the name “Dressing, Wound, Drug”.
Types and variants of Cutimed Sorbact
Cutimed Sorbact is a family of forms, not one product. Forms and sizes below are from the WoundSource Cutimed Sorbact listing (read 2026-11-07); the Hydroactive and Siltec lines are named in the K143151 record.
| Form | Listed sizes (inches) | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Pad (Cutimed Sorbact Dressing Pad) | 2.8 x 3.5; 4 x 4; 4 x 8 | WoundSource listing |
| Ribbon gauze | 1 x 1.95; 2 x 78.5 | WoundSource listing |
| Swab | 1.5 x 2.5; 3 x 3.5 | WoundSource listing |
| Wound contact layer | 2 x 3; 4 x 4; 4 x 5; 4 x 8; 6 x 6; 8 x 8 | WoundSource listing |
| Gel | 3 x 3; 3 x 6 | WoundSource listing |
| Hydroactive / Hydroactive B | Per manufacturer listing | Named in FDA K143151 |
| Siltec Sorbact | Per manufacturer listing | Named in FDA K143151 |
For the wider category, see the CASRAI guides on antimicrobial wound dressings and highly absorbent wound dressings.
How do you use a Sorbact dressing?
Use is governed by the manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFU) for the specific form and by local protocol. As summarized on WoundSource: the wound is cleaned by standard procedure but not dried completely; the dressing is gently pressed onto the wound so that the green Sorbact side makes direct contact with the entire wound bed; and it is secured with a secondary dressing. It should not be wrapped around extremities.
How often is it changed?
The listing says the interval depends on exudate level and wound condition: daily, or up to 7 days in a moist wound, and more often if signs of infection are present, following local protocol. Once a wound is clean and granulating, the listing says to move to other moist-healing dressings.
Warnings stated for the product
- Do not use ointments or creams with it, because they reduce binding.
- Not for use with known hypersensitivity to DACC or cellulose acetate.
- Single use; do not re-sterilize; do not use if the pouch is damaged.
- Not for direct placement on bone, tendons, exposed vessels, organs or nerves.
Removal versus killing: how it differs from other antimicrobial dressings
Some antimicrobial dressings contain or release an active agent. A Sorbact dressing, per its manufacturer, releases none and instead holds microorganisms on its surface until it is removed. The practical consequence in the product warnings is that anything that coats the wound-contact surface, such as ointments or creams, can interfere with binding.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using it with an ointment or cream (listed as reducing binding).
- Placing the wrong side down: the green Sorbact side is the wound-contact side.
- Treating all forms as interchangeable: exudate suitability differs between pad, ribbon, contact layer and Hydroactive/Siltec products, so read the IFU for the exact form.
- Reusing or re-sterilizing a single-use dressing.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 7 steps of wound care?
There is no single standard seven-step list that applies to every wound and setting, and this page does not give a step-by-step clinical protocol. Wound management follows the treating clinician’s assessment and the facility’s protocol; for a given product, the IFU is the authoritative source.
What is the best disinfectant for wounds?
This page does not recommend a disinfectant, because that depends on the wound and the clinician’s judgment. The one product-specific point sourced here is that ointments and creams should not be combined with a Sorbact dressing.
When should Xeroform not be used?
Xeroform is a different product, so its contraindications are in its own IFU and are not covered here. For Sorbact, see the warnings above.
What is the difference between Sorbact and Cutimed Sorbact?
Sorbact is the technology; Cutimed Sorbact is the BSN medical product range that uses it, available in the forms in the table above.
Sources
- WoundSource, Cutimed Sorbact Dressings product listing: woundsource.com/product/cutimed-sorbact (read 2026-11-07).
- FDA 510(k) K143151 via the openFDA device 510k API: api.fda.gov (read 2026-11-07).
