Approximately 222,000 adult bed assistance rails are being recalled due to hazards of entrapment and asphyxia, following the death of an individual in a residential care facility.
A recall notice issued on Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) revealed that Medical King is recalling three models of its portable bed rails after it was discovered that users could become trapped either within the rail or between the rail and a mattress.
Medical King has reported one death associated with the recalled bed rails. A 66-year-old man passed away in November 2023 after becoming entrapped between his mattress and a bed rail at a residential care facility in South Carolina.
Consumers who possess the affected bed rails are urged to cease use immediately and contact Medical King for a free repair kit or replacement, depending on the model.
The bed rails being recalled include Medical King’s “Bed Assist Rail with Adjustable Heights” (model numbers 7007 and 7057) and the “Bed Assist Rail Without Legs” (model number 7037). Although the bed rails do not have specific brand labeling, they were sold online between January 2020 and March 2024 on platforms such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.
Medical King advises consumers to check receipts or purchase history to determine if their bed rail is affected by the recall. Additional information is available on Medical King’s online recall page.
In a statement to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Medical King expressed the company’s concern for the safety of its customers and their families, noting the company’s sorrow over the reported death. The spokesperson stated that Medical King acted swiftly to initiate the recall in collaboration with the CPSC upon learning of the fatal incident.
Medical King has also redesigned its new bed rails to comply with the latest federal safety requirements, which were implemented after the sale of the unit involved in the reported death.
The CPSC highlighted that this recall is the ninth of its kind since 2021, involving various companies and suppliers. These recalls and two additional product warnings have been linked to serious injuries and a total of 18 reported deaths.
The CPSC underscored new mandatory safety standards for adult portable bed rails and recommended safety tips for installation. Ensuring that a bed rail is compatible with the mattress, eliminating gaps, and avoiding the installation of multiple bed rails adjacent to each other were among the crucial safety tips provided.
