Standard Register Unveils First Anti-Microbial Laser ID Band for Patients

PurBand™ aimed at reducing hospital-acquired infections.

Dayton, Ohio, February 21, 2011—Long recognized for its patient identification leadership, Standard Register (NYSE:SR) Healthcare unveiled the world’s first anti-microbial laser wristband for patient identification at the Healthcare Information Management System Society’s (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando. The innovative PurBand™ wristband was developed to help hospitals combat MRSA, e-Coli and P. aeruginosa bacteria that can lead to hospital-associated infections (HAI).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one out every 20 hospitalized patients will contract a HAI. The agency estimates two million patients get a hospital-related infection each year. It reports the infections, which are caused by a wide variety of bacteria, fungi and viruses, can be devastating and deadly.

The PurBand patient wristband is treated with an anti-microbial coating that helps hospitals greatly reduce bacteria that comes into contact with the wristband, according to John Parmley, director, Patient Identification and Safety Programs for Standard Register Healthcare. Independent laboratory tests demonstrated PurBand reduces MRSA and P. aeruginosa by over 94 percent within 24 hours, and e-Coli by over 72 percent within 24 hours. All three bacteria are reduced by 99 percent within 72 hours, which is beyond the duration of the average patient’s stay, Parmley reported.

“Despite a focused effort by healthcare providers, these bacteria are prevalent on surfaces throughout the hospital. It really takes a comprehensive program to combat their spread,” Parmley observed. “As a primary means of patient identification the wristband is repeatedly touched and referenced throughout a patient’s stay. An anti-microbial wristband offers one more means of reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections,” he said.

About Standard Register
Standard Register is a premier document services provider, trusted by companies to manage the critical documents they need to thrive in today’s competitive climate. Employing nearly a century of industry expertise, Lean Six Sigma methodologies and other leading technologies, the Company helps organizations increase efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risks, grow revenue and meet the challenges of a changing business landscape. The Company offers document and label solutions, technology solutions, consulting and print supply chain services to help clients manage documents throughout their enterprises. More information is available at http://www.standardregister.com.

The Standard Register Healthcare Business serves more than 3,100 hospitals and 100 of the nation’s top integrated delivery networks (IDNs). It helps healthcare providers accelerate performance, attract and educate patients, enhance their safety, and improve the quality of care with document management and workflow automation solutions for patient identification and documentation, secure prescriptions, training, patient and marketing communications, as well as professional services and print supply chain services. More information is available at www.standardregister.com/healthcare.