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Injury and death associated with hospital bed side-rails: reports to the US Food and Drug Administration from 1985 to
J F Todd1, C E Ruhl, T P Gross
1Center for Radiological Devices and Health, US Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md. 20850, USA.
Objectives:
Hospital bed side-rails, while intended for patient protection, can contribute to injury and death. Reports to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of hospital bed side-rail entrapment have increased. In this paper entrapment cases are reviewed and the population potentially at risk identified.
Methods:
FDA's database was searched for events involving hospital beds from January 1985 to August 1995 and entrapment cases were identified.
Results:
Of 111 entrapments, 65% were associated with death and 23% with injury.
Conclusions:
Advanced age, female sex, low body weight, and cognitive impairment may be associated with increased risk. Preventive measures are detailed.