Colour-coded hospital bracelets

BGgirl · Feb 6, 2009

I Found the following article:
Hospitals standardize wristbands
By Associated Press
POSTED: 11:26 a.m. EST, Oct 20, 2008
CLEVELAND: Hospitals in Ohio are moving toward a standard color-code system for patient wristbands, to lessen the risk of errors.
Last year, medical facilities in the state used an array of 19 different colors on 28 different types of bands, according to a survey from the Ohio Patient Safety Institute.
The institute formed by state hospital and physician associations has recommended just four colors: white or clear for patient ID; red for allergies; yellow for a patient at risk of falling; and green for those receiving blood products.
Director of quality improvement Rosalie Weakland with the Ohio Hospital Association says more than half its members have adopted the new system, and others are coming on board.
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Information from The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com.
I'm from Ohio and we currently use the above color-coded bands and have now for several months.

lpnflorida · Feb 7, 2009

In addion to the bands already mentioned we also have a band to indicate patient is on an anticoagulant.

ayla2004, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2009

Wow, we only have two bands
White-patient id band
Red-allergies
I do like the sound of the DNR and falls risk bands

no orange infection control band

surprised this hasn 't been mentioned

talaxandra · Aug 1, 2009

Is that for MRSA/VRE?

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Aug 1, 2009

Good lord. We just have name bands. Allergies are on the MAR and a warning pops up if you try and enter an order for an drug that's cross sensitive to their allergies. I've never heard of blood bands. MRSA/VRE just says contact precautions on door w/ iso cart outside room. Why would you need a band for that? If you're close enough to the patient to see a band, it's too late to gown and glove.

liebling5, MSN, RN · Aug 1, 2009

The problem with the bracelet color coding system is that a patient could have multiple bracelets that could potentially dig into their skin, etc. We just starting using small plastic , triangular clip-ons, to put on the inpatient bracelet. Red=allergy, yellow=latex purple=fall risk. They seem to be working well so far.

My first nursing position had multiple bracelets, too. Purple was DNR, yellow fall risk, green for isolation, orange for allergies, plus the regular one! It was messy and led to skin issues, especially on people with fragile skin. I like that idea of clip-on pieces. It's similar to one I advocated with the various colors applied to the name band. As long as those pieces can't come off, that would work!

Staff who worked at other facilities said that their other jobs had different colors for things than we did! Talk about confused! :confused: :clown:

jenrn6282 · Aug 1, 2009

I am 50/50 on the idea....what about these pts that are DNR's one day and family changes them the next and then they are chemical code on the 3rd day. What happens if this band is forgotten to be cut off. Also a patient with 4 or 5 bands is now a skin issue, as well as if you need to place more IVs and those bands are in the way. Sometimes we remove them while placing IV's, now your going to have to replace 4/5 of them??

we have basic white ID and blood bank Type and cross that is all. Fall is determined by blue star upon entrance to room and blue dot on pt ID band.

ayla2004, ASN, RN · Aug 1, 2009

Is that for MRSA/VRE?

not seen vre yet

but for mrsa, c diff tb etc

we do placed an orange triangle at the door.

ayla2004, ASN, RN · Aug 1, 2009

uk national patient safety agency has said one band per patient perferably not handwritten is best.

meandragonbrett · Aug 1, 2009

As if a falls precaution band, or yellow falls precaution socks are going to keep somebody in the bed.

I know it's an alert for staff members, but some facilities act like the bands and socks keep the people in the bed.