Preparation and characterization of carboxymethylated cotton fabrics as hemostatic wound dressing

Uncontrolled hemorrhage is a large cause of death in the global scope, thus leading to an urgent demand to develop efficient hemostatic materials. In this study, a series of modified cotton fabrics (MCFs) with different carboxymethyl group contents were prepared from cotton fabric (CF) by a carboxymethylation process to choose the appropriate one with the best hemostatic performance. The carboxymethyl group contents of MCFs rose up as the dosages of ClCH₂COOH increased. The crystallinity of CF decreased after carboxymethylation, and MCFs can dissolve slightly with the phenomenon that there were vague boundaries between fibers after being treated with water. Furthermore, the MCF with the carboxymethyl group content at 0.77 mmol/g (MCF-0.77) could absorb the blood quickly, achieve dense distribution of blood cells and have high viscosity of leaching liquor. In addition, the MCF-0.77 with good biocompatibility accelerated the hemostasis time to 46.6 ± 8.4 s compared with the CF (88.8 ± 31.5 s) in a rat model of liver injury. In summary, the prepared MCF-0.77 is a potential hemostatic wound dressing for clinical use since every second counts for pre-hospital care.