220,000 Medical King portable adult bed rails recalled after a death, marking ninth related recall in 3 years
More than 220,000 portable adult bed rails were recalled on Thursday after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an urgent warning after one death and serious injuries were reported.
Over the past three years, portable adult bed rails have been recalled eight other times after 17 reported deaths and serious injuries to the head, neck or chest from entrapment. The nine total recalls, and two additional product warnings, have impacted more than 3 million units.
The current recall is for bed rails manufactured by Medical King in Brooklyn, New York, after reports of entrapment and asphyxia hazards. The impacted model numbers are 7007, 7057 and 7037. One death was reported in connection with this recall, bringing the total number to 18.
The CPSC said data shows that 92% of the deaths from portable bed rails come from entrapment, usually of the head or neck.
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Portable bed rails provide assistance for adults who need help getting in and out of bed or repositioning while in bed. They also provide support when sleeping and are used in private homes and assisted living and care facilities.
"Those taking care of the elderly or individuals with mobility limitations or those with mental challenges shouldn’t have to worry that a critical piece of support equipment they rely on could lead to serious injuries or death," said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. "During National Care at Home Month, we want to encourage all caregivers – whether in private homes or in institutional settings – to ensure that the adult portable bed rails they use are installed correctly, used properly and have not been previously recalled."
In January 2023, CPSC issued new mandatory safety standards for portable adult bed rails, and all being sold and manufactured in the U.S. must comply with the current performance and testing requirements.
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CPSC also has an "Adult Bed Rails Safety Education Center" on its website with various safety tips and information for families and caregivers.
The safety tips include:
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Previous recalls and safety warnings included bed rails from Bed Handles, Drive DeVilbiss, Essential Medical Supply, Compass Health, Nova Medical Products, Mobility Transfer Systems, Platinum Health, BeyondMedShop, Medline and Ceither.