FDA issues warning on patient wristbands
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday sent a letter to manufacturers of medical devices telling them to double-check colors related to wristbands worn by hospitalized patients.
The letter was issued after the Food and Drug Administration became aware that a manufacturer-provided purple wristbands for patients to wear to flag that they had a particular medical implant.
Purple also is the color of wristbands that hospitals use to denote patients with "do not resuscitate orders."
The American Hospital Association in 2008 called on hospitals to standardize colors of wristbands as a way to improve safety.
Red wristbands are for patients with allergies, yellow wristbands are for patients who are at risk of falling and purple wristbands identify patients with "do not resuscitate orders."
William H. Maisel, director of the Office of Product Evaluation and Quality Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA, said the agency became aware of concerns about potential confusion in a recently submitted complaint.
"At this time, the FDA is not aware of reports of patient harm related to the color of device identification patient bracelets or wristbands," Maisel wrote in the letter.Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida headlines.