Hospital Bed Safety: Tips To Prevent Injuries
Ensuring hospital bed safety is crucial to prevent injuries and falls, particularly for vulnerable patients. Follow these guidelines to maintain a safe environment for patients and healthcare staff:
- Keep the bed in the lowest position when possible: This reduces the risk of injury if the patient falls out of bed. Lowering the bed shortens the distance to the floor, making falls less harmful.
- Keep the side rails up unless the patient is transitioning in or out of bed: This simple step can prevent falls by offering support and keeping the patient safe while in bed.
- Lock the bed wheels: Always lock the wheels when the bed is in place. After moving the bed, re-lock the wheels to prevent it from shifting unexpectedly.
- Place the over-bed table on the non-exit side: By positioning the table on the side where the patient doesn’t exit, you avoid the risk of the patient using it as an unstable handhold during transfers, which helps keep them safe.
- Place bedside commodes and walking aids on the exit side: Position the bedside commode, canes, or walkers on the side of the bed the patient exits from. This ensures easy access and reduces the risk of falls while the patient reaches for them.
- Keep frequently used items within reach: Ensure that items the patient needs often are placed within arm’s reach. This reduces the temptation to stretch and risk falling.
Identify and Avoid Entrapment Risks
- Be aware of entrapment zones: Hospital Beds have specific areas, like the space between the mattress and side rails, where patients may become trapped. These zones can be dangerous and should be monitored carefully.
- Ensure beds meet dimensional standards: Beds should meet safety criteria based on patient size data and past entrapment incidents to minimize dangerous entrapment zones.
Technology and Monitoring Systems
- Use bed-exit detection systems: These systems, including visual and audible alarms, help healthcare staff monitor patient movements and prevent falls. They can also be integrated with nurse call systems for proactive intervention.
- Review bed event history data: Analyzing data from bed-exit alarms and detection systems helps staff improve fall prevention strategies.
Additional Precautions
- Use low-height beds: Beds that are positioned closer to the ground (as low as 10 inches from the patient deck) reduce the risk of serious injury if the patient falls.
- Consider the patient’s condition: Extra care is needed for patients with mental impairments, communication challenges, or mobility issues. These factors increase the risk of entrapment and other injuries.
- Report and assess entrapment incidents: Any cases of entrapment should be reported. Hospital beds should be regularly checked for safety compliance to ensure there are no gaps or openings that could harm the patient.
By following these guidelines, healthcare facilities can improve hospital bed safety and significantly reduce the risk of patient falls and injuries.
How do hospitals prevent patient injuries by choosing hospital beds?
1. Choose an ultra-low hospital bed
Extra-low beds are recommended as they reduce the risk of injury from falls due to their lower height. Research shows that a bed height of approximately 21 cm significantly reduces gravitational potential energy (GPE), thereby minimizing the severity of injuries in a fall.
2. Choose side guardrails
These can prevent falls but must be designed to avoid the risk of entrapment. Proper installation and compliance with safety standards are crucial
3. Electric height adjustment
Beds that allow caregivers to easily adjust the height can facilitate safer patient transfers and reduce the risk of caregiver injury.
4. Integrated bed exit alarm
These alerts alert staff when a patient attempts to leave the bed unattended, allowing for timely intervention.
5. Choose ABS casters with brakes
Choose casters with brakes to prevent the hospital bed from sliding around without anyone pushing it. Reduced risk of patient injury.
What are the characteristics of the hospital beds produced by Grace Medy?
As a hospital bed manufacturer with 15 years of experience, Grace Medy not only produce hospital bed,but also supplier other related hospital furniture (bedside tables, Operating tables, operating lights, emergency trolleys) and rehabilitation equipment (Wheelchairs, walkers) and other products. Grace Medy puts great consideration into the design and functionality of the hospital beds it produces for patients.
1.Regular ward
Grace Medy designs conventional hospital beds for general wards. These hospital beds have bedside anti-collision corners, brakeable casters, foldable guardrails and other conventional functions to prevent patient injuries and protect patient safety.
2.ICU ward
hospital bed headboard
In the design of ICU beds, Grace Medy upgraded the anti-collision corners at the headboard of conventional hospital beds to anti-collision wheels, so that people on the bed will receive less impact when the bed is moved.
ABS damping lifting guardrail
For the hospital bed safety,on the guardrail, Grace Medy designed an anti-pinch ABS damping lifting guardrail. The one-piece large guardrail/two-piece large guardrail design wraps the hospital bed better, making the patient feel more secure and able to sleep better. Prevent patients from falling and getting injured.
Height adjustable function
For the hospital bed safety,In order to reduce the risk of patients falling, Grace Medy added a height-adjustable function to the ICU bed, lowering the height of the hospital bed in advance, so that the risk of patients falling and being injured can be reduced during the transfer of patients.
Hospital bed brake
In terms of the design of the casters, Grace Medy uses centrally controlled brakes, which can lock all casters with one pedal, greatly reducing the risk of injuries to patients if the hospital bed accidentally slides.
One-click CPR function
For the hospital bed safety,The ICU bed produced by Grace Medy has a one-button CPR function and can be flattened with one button to buy patients time for rescue. Prevent injuries caused to patients due to delayed rescue.
Summary
By following these essential safety tips and choosing the right hospital bed, healthcare facilities can greatly reduce the risk of falls and injuries. Whether it’s through low-height beds, side guardrails, or advanced monitoring systems, prioritizing patient safety ensures a better and more secure recovery process. It’s clear that every small precaution counts in creating a safer environment for both patients and staff.