Health Canada has issued an important safety information update on the risk of entrapment of patients in hospital beds.
According to the notice, Health Canada continues to receive incidents of patient entrapment in hospital beds. Between August 2012, the date of the last Notice to Hospitals issued by Health Canada, and March 2017, 58 additional incidents of patient entrapment in hospital beds, including 11 deaths, have been reported to Health Canada.
The use of bed rails in hospitals, nursing homes and home healthcare can help keep patients safe. However, in some situations, bed rails may also pose risks. One risk is entrapment, which involves a patient or a resident being caught, trapped or entangled in the bed rails, mattress or bed frame of a hospital bed. Bed system components have also been found to contribute to patient entrapment incidents. Notably, the mattress has been identified as a contributor to patient entrapment. The mattress is usually replaced before the bed frame, occasionally with an incorrect size or incompatible mattress which can create unsafe gaps.
Bed entrapment does not happen often, but when it does, it can result in serious injuries. In some instances, someone's head, neck or chest can get trapped. This can lead to trouble breathing and may even cause death.
In February 2015, Health Canada published an article called Hospital bed safety to inform them on the risks associated with hospital beds and to provide information on how to assess and mitigate those risks.
For more details, please refer to the link:
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2017/62960a-eng.php
Posted on 12 April 2017