It is important to discuss accidents related to hospital beds rail. According to the FDA, about 2.5 million hospital and nursing home beds are currently used in the United States. From 1985 to January 1, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received 803 reports of patients caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled in beds with rails. Of these incidents, 480 resulted in patient deaths, 138 resulted in non-fatal injuries, and 185 were prevented by staff intervention. Most patients involved in these incidents were frail, elderly, or confused. Approximately 2.5 million hospital and nursing home beds are in use in the United States today. Between 1985 and January 1, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received 803 reports of patients being caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled in beds with rails. Of these reports, 480 patients died, 138 had nonfatal injuries, and 185 were not injured because staff intervened. Most patients involved in these incidents were frail, elderly, or confused.
Patient Safety and hospital beds rail
Patients experiencing memory problems, sleeping issues, incontinence, pain, uncontrolled body movements, or who walk unsafely without assistance require a careful evaluation to determine the most effective ways to prevent harm, particularly falls. The patient's healthcare team can conduct an assessment to establish the best measures to keep the patient safe. Physical restraints, such as vests and ankle or wrist restraints, have historically been used to ensure safety in healthcare facilities. However, it has become increasingly evident in recent years that physically restraining patients can pose a significant risk. While bed rails are occasionally used as restraints despite not being recommended, regulatory agencies, healthcare organizations, product manufacturers, and advocacy groups urge hospitals, nursing homes, and home care providers to assess patients' needs and provide safe care without resorting to restraints.
Balancing the Advantages and disadvantages of hospital Beds Rail
Bed rails have the potential to offer various advantages, including helping patients turn and adjust their position in bed, providing a grip for getting in or out of bed, creating a sense of comfort and safety, decreasing the risk of patients falling when being moved, and facilitating access to bed controls and personal items. However, bed rails also pose potential hazards, such as strangulation, suffocation, bodily harm, or death when patients or their body parts get trapped between rails or between the rails and mattress, more severe injuries from falls when patients try to climb over the rails, skin abrasions and injuries, agitation when bed rails are used as a means of restraint, a sense of isolation or undue restriction, and preventing patients who are capable of getting out of bed from carrying out basic activities like going to the restroom or retrieving items from a closet.
Ensuring Patient Safety by Meeting Their Needs
Most patients can be safely in bed without needing hospital beds rail. Consider the following measures: opt for beds that can be raised or lowered close to the ground to meet the needs of both patients and healthcare staff, keep the bed in the lowest position, and lock wheels when patients are at risk of falling out of bed, placemats beside the bed if they do not increase the risk of accidents, use transfer or mobility aids, frequently monitor patients, anticipate reasons why patients get out of bed such as hunger, thirst, the need to use the restroom, restlessness, and pain; address these needs by offering food and fluids, scheduling frequent toileting, and providing calming interventions and pain relief. If bed rails are used, assess the patient's physical and mental status regularly, closely monitor high-risk patients, lower one or more sections of the bed rail, such as the foot rail, use a mattress of appropriate size or one with raised foam edges to prevent patients from getting trapped between the mattress and rail, and decrease the gaps between the mattress and side rails.
What are the Best Strategies to Minimize Risks?
An ongoing process of evaluating and monitoring patients will optimize bed safety. Patients may require adjustment to become comfortable with new options. Both patients and their caregivers should be educated on the benefits and risks of different bed safety measures to make informed decisions about their care.