Reminder about single inpatient armband

01 Apr 2019

One band increases visibility and safety starting April 2

 

Why just one armband? 

• Multiple armbands may overlap and may not be visible (patient safety risk).
• They can obstruct optimal IV placement (patient safety/quality risk).
• Armbands often create a barrier for optimal breastfeeding (patient comfort risk).
• Salem Health inpatients wear an average of four to five armbands.

This new armband places patient alerts (same color as previous wristbands) on the patient’s primary ID armband (called the thermal band). This new system also allows for the addition of a new alert for latex allergy (for which our hospitals receive an average of 12 PSAs per year). Testing on four units found the new armband provided a major improvement! 

Due to the special nature of other patient wristbands, the patient might still receive the following additional wristbands:

• Trauma
• Blood band
• Restricted extremity band

Pediatric patients up to the age of 12 and select developmentally delayed patients will not be banded with these new alerts due to the risk of chewing off the alerts. They will continue to be banded using the current system.