Bandage Bacteria Not Dangerous

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31831, 8 November 1968, Page 20

Bandage Bacteria Not Dangerous

(N.Z k Press Association) PALMERSTON

NORTH, Nov. 7.

The bandages distributed throughout Palmerston North by the local Civil Defence and Disaster Relief committee contained no greater bacterial contamination than one would receive with a cut finger, and not all the bandages had bacterial contamination, said the Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence (Captain T. D. Herrick).

He said today that two batches of bandages had been checked when they were unpacked from their original cases. They were found to have a bacterial contamination.

For this reason a memorandum was issued to all local defence organisations recommending that all other bandages from the same source should be sterilised. The bacteria causing the infection was present in the air all the time, and could be present in the case of a cut finger without any dire results. In the case of the bandages, even unsterilised they could be more effective than a hand-

kerchief in dealing with a wound, and would be better than nothing. Under actual conditions the wound being treated would more than likely pick up more infection from the surrounding air than it would from the bandage, said Captain Herrick.