Antibacterial coating for patient wristbands
On-demand printing solutions provider Zebra Technologies has launched
a new anti-microbial coating for patient ID wristbands. Results from
independent tests have shown that the new coat, available exclusively
from Zebra, eliminates the three leading causes of hospital infections —
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Esherichia coli (E
coli).
There are an estimated 300,000 cases of hospital-acquired infection
in the UK each year affecting nine per cent of patients, causing around
5,000 deaths and costing the NHS as much as £1bn. Up to 100,000
unwitting carriers of MRSA, too, enter UK hospitals every year, putting
other patients at risk of infection.
By incorporating patient identification wristbands with an
antimicrobial coating, say Zebra, hospitals will be able to reduce the
spread of these infections and promote safer, more effective patient
care. Not only are common bacteria killed but the unique patient
identification provided by the wristbands (pictured) also enables staff
to monitor their movement around the hospital.
“According to our own research, lowering hospital-acquired infection
rates is a top priority for healthcare professionals when it comes to
patient safety”, said Aileen McHugh, Healthcare Manager at Zebra
Technologies. “Zebra’s patient-identification wristbands already include
a topcoat layer that resists elements such as alcohol, foams, soaps,
blood and water in order to ensure the barcode remains scannable. Adding
an antimicrobial coating is a convenient and cost-effective way of
further improving patient safety and reducing the spread of infections
throughout the hospital.”
“There’s no doubt that hospitals are coming under increasing pressure
to proactively tackle superbugs”, said Rod Rodericks, Managing Director
of Zebra. “High-profile media coverage and intense lobbying from patient
pressure groups combined with fierce campaigning from the opposition
have pushed the issue to the forefront of the public consciousness. We
hope that innovations such as this coating will help hospitals meet the
target of cutting the number of MRSA cases in half within the next two
years.”
The new coating will be added to London-headquartered Zebra’s Z-Band
Direct and Z-Band QuickClip wristbands, which are produced with the
firm’s direct thermal barcode printers.
For more information on the anti-microbial wristband coating go to
www.zebra.com
Source: bjhc&im May 2006
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