The discovery that surgical tapes in some Hunter New England hospitals were contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including golden staph, has prompted calls for new packaging and handling procedures.

Hunter New England Local Health District said yesterday it had no evidence of patient infection due to contaminated surgical tape.

However, tape packaging changes were being explored.

The findings, by Hunter Area Pathology Service researchers, are published in a letter to the latest Medical Journal of Australia.

They collected partially used surgical tape rolls from several clinical areas in three Hunter New England hospitals.

Using hands disinfected with alcohol gel, the researchers placed batches of several tape rolls in 21 clean collection bags.

The samples were placed in sterile containers, incubated and subcultured to detect superbugs.

Methicillin-resistan t Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), commonly known as golden staph, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were identified in 11 of the 21 tape batches.

All batches showed evidence of contamination with other bacteria.

The researchers said the results indicated that surgical adhesive tapes were frequently contaminated with multi-resistant organisms.

The tape is frequently used to fix items such as intravenous cannulas, surgical drains and wound dressings.

"This may lead to colonisation and subsequent infection," the researchers said.

"Furthermore, tape rolls are often left lying on contaminated surfaces, are handled by multiple individuals and cannot be disinfected."

The researchers, who include infectious diseases and infection prevention and control specialists, are calling for new packaging and handling procedures.

They said short rolls of surgical tape should be supplied in sealed packets and used for individual patients, only after hand disinfection, and discarded after use.

Nursing and midwifery director Karen Kelly said yesterday that Hunter New England Health had a strong infection prevention and control strategy and was continually looking at ways to enhance management and storage of equipment.

The health service had no evidence that any patient was infected with multi-resistant organisms as a result of contaminated tape, she said.

But it had begun buying shorter rolls of surgical tape and was working with suppliers on packaging changes.

Managers were educating staff on improved storage and use of surgical tape.