Hospital Bed Injury Prevention Tips

The FDA has released a helpful list of tips aimed at preventing a potential hospital bed injury. The agency is releasing the guide to what they indicate is a prevalence of complex hospital beds, and the sometimes fatal risk of entrapment by patients.

>>RELATED INFORMATION: Hospital Injury Lawsuits

The new guidance from FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) outlines not only how to avoid hospital bed entrapment, but also details fire prevention and home use safety tips. Since 1985, the FDA has received 803 incident reports of patients becoming trapped, entangled or strangled in their hospital beds. There were 480 deaths, mostly involving frail, elderly or confused patients.

There are about 2.5 million hospital beds in use at various types of facilities across the United States. The guidance identifies the head, neck and chest as areas most vulnerable to entrapments that could lead to a serious hospital bed injury. It also notes that the railings on the beds are the most dangerous. Of the seven “zones of entrapment” identified by the FDA on hospital beds, six involve the rails.

In addition to a risk of entrapment, hospital bed rail use can cause serious injury if a patient tries to climb over the rail.

The guidance warns that motorized hospital beds also have an increased fire risk, albeit a rare one, due to the possibility of electrical shorts, overheating or materials falling into the motor casing. The guidance notes that most fires from such beds are due to a lack of proper maintenance. Risk of fire can be reduced by:

• Inspecting power cords
• Avoiding the use of extension cords or “power” strips
• Keeping the bed and area around it free of dust and lint
• Inspecting control panels for signs of damage where liquids could enter
• Keeping linens and clothes away from outlets and power sources.

HOSPITAL BED INJURY LAWYERS

The medical malpractice lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. investigate potential cases for severe and fatal injuries caused by the negligent use, maintenance or design of hospital beds. If you, a friend or family member have suffered from a hospital bed problem, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.