—Studies have shown that medical tapes, once opened and put into use can be sources of
contamination. In a recent study published in January 2012, which evaluated tapes collected at three hospitals in the Hunter New England Area Health Service, Harris, et al. (2012) concluded that surgical tapes are frequently contaminated with multidrug-resistant organisms. Berkowitz (1974) recovered Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and various species of Enterobacteriaceae in a seven-day study of 23 rolls of adhesive tape being used in a 16-bed
intensive care unit. Wilcox, et al. (2000) studied a five-year outbreak of methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus among 202 babies in a neonatal unit in which the infection was related to an adhesive used as a skin protectant. Also, studies of mucormycosis by Alsuwaida and an extensive literature review of 169 mucormycosis cases by Rammaert, et al. (2012) identified instances in which adhesive bandages were the source of contamination. Additional studies
of medical tapes and cross-contamination have been published by Dickinson (1998) and Everett (1979).
—Source: Infection Control Today - January 22, 2013
contamination. In a recent study published in January 2012, which evaluated tapes collected at three hospitals in the Hunter New England Area Health Service, Harris, et al. (2012) concluded that surgical tapes are frequently contaminated with multidrug-resistant organisms. Berkowitz (1974) recovered Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and various species of Enterobacteriaceae in a seven-day study of 23 rolls of adhesive tape being used in a 16-bed
intensive care unit. Wilcox, et al. (2000) studied a five-year outbreak of methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus among 202 babies in a neonatal unit in which the infection was related to an adhesive used as a skin protectant. Also, studies of mucormycosis by Alsuwaida and an extensive literature review of 169 mucormycosis cases by Rammaert, et al. (2012) identified instances in which adhesive bandages were the source of contamination. Additional studies
of medical tapes and cross-contamination have been published by Dickinson (1998) and Everett (1979).
—Source: Infection Control Today - January 22, 2013
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