CPSC Releases Review of Deaths, Injuries Involving Bedrails

​The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent agency of the federal government, has released a review of deaths of and injuries to adults involving bedrails, according to a November 29, 2012, article in the New York Times. The review used data from death certificates and emergency department visits to examine deaths involving bedrails. CPSC identified 155 such deaths occurring between January 2003 and September 2011. Of those who died, 126 (81%) were age 60 or older. Of all bedrail deaths, 61% occurred at home and about one-quarter occurred at a nursing home or an assisted-living facility. Most of the deaths were due to entrapment in the bedrails, primarily entrapment of the head or neck.