Chapter 28 Adaptive Devices
1 Eisenberg MG. Dictionary of rehabilitation. New York: Springer, 1995.
2 Safety notice MDA/2003/029 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Bath and Shower seating equipment: Risk of injury. Available at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/. Accessed November 17, 2005
3 MDA: 1997 Safety Notice: Bath and shower seating equipment: risk of injury, SN9709. London: Medical Devices Agency (MDA SN9709).
4 Pain H, McLellan L, Gore S. Choosing assistive devices. A guide for users and professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2003.
28.2 Commode Chairs
28.3 Hospital Beds
OVERVIEW.
A bed is a piece of furniture that one lies down and sleeps on and usually includes a frame, leg supports, springs, and a mattress.1 Several types of beds are used to address different patient problems (i.e., trauma, pressure ulcers).
SUMMARY: CONTRAINDICATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS.
Bed concerns generally center around safety issues (body entrapment fatalities; crushing injuries), proper patient selection (sizing, anthropometrics), and disadvantages of specific bed types (e.g., an inability to perform CPR). Both the FDA (US) and MDA (UK) have reported fatalities related to body entrapment involving poorly fitted or inappropriately selected bed rails.2–4 (Also see Restraints.)
CONTRAINDICATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS
1 Webster’s third new international dictionary. Springfield (MA: Merriam-Webster, 1981.
2 US Food and Drug Administration. FDA safety alert: entrapment hazard with hospital bed side rails. August 23, 1995, Center for Device and Radiological Health. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mdr/. Accessed November 7, 2005
3 Safety notice SN 2001(35), Bed rails (cotsides) risk of entrapment and asphyxiation, supplement to HN2000(10). Available at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/. Accessed November 17, 2005
4 Medical Devices Agency. Bed grab handles: risk of head entrapment, SN 2001 (11). London: Medical Devices Agency; 2001. Available at: http://www.mhra.gov/uk/mda. Accessed November 17, 2005
5 Pierson FM, Fairchild SL. Principles and techniques of patient care, ed 3. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 2002.
6 Electric beds can kill children (update). Hazard update. Health Dev. 1989;18(9):323-325.
