A Microbiological Assay of Common Operating Room (OR) Tapes: Developing a Culture for Patient Safety

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infection Control
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Operating room (OR) tapes lack standardized cleaning protocols, posing a risk for microbial contamination and cross-contamination.
• Anesthesia providers' adhesive tapes in ORs and off-site surgical areas may harbor microorganisms.
• Hypothesis: Culturing OR tape rolls would reveal significant microbial colonization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess microbial contamination rates on OR tapes.
• To compare contamination between tapes from storage, ORs, off-sites, and post-patient use.
• To evaluate an intervention for reducing tape contamination.

Main Methods:

• Observational cohort study design.
• Collection and culturing of adhesive tape specimens from various locations (storage, OR, off-site, post-use).
• Implementation of an intervention involving hand hygiene and barrier use.

Main Results:

• High contamination rates observed: 68.2% (OR), 63.2% (off-site), and 100% (patient specimens).
• Gross contamination and cross-contamination were evident among OR and off-site tapes.
• Post-intervention cultures showed improved outcomes, indicating reduced microbial presence.

Conclusions:

• OR tapes can act as microbial vectors, highlighting a quality improvement need.
• Environmental decontamination and improved anesthesia provider hand hygiene are recommended for routine care.
• Single-use, pre-packaged tape for securing endotracheal tubes (ETTs) and nasogastric tubes is advocated.