Battery-Powered Mobile Medical Cart Fire Risk Leads To FDA Warning

Martha Garcia

Add Your Comments

Federal health regulators are warning hospitals nationwide that some battery-powered mobile medical carts could catch fire, placing hospitals staff and patients at risk. 

In a letter to health care professionals issued on December 27, the FDA highlighted a potential safety risk associated with battery-powered mobile medical carts, such as crash carts, carts to dispense medication, anesthesia carts and ultrasound machines. The agency warns that the carts have been linked to reports of overheating, smoking, fires and even explosions; in some cases requiring hospital evacuations.

The carts are used widely throughout the medical community in many different settings from doctor’s offices, to hospitals, surgery and outpatient facilities.They often have high capacity lithium or lead acid batteries that can power medical devices and workstations for many hours. They are frequently used because of their convenience and versatility in the healthcare field.

Do You Know about…

Spinal Cord Stimulator lawsuits

Spinal cord stimulator lawsuits are being investigated for individuals who suffered unnecessary shocks, burns or other problems, often resulting in the need for additional surgery to remove the SCS.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION
Spinal-Cord-Stimulation-Lawsuit
Spinal-Cord-Stimulation-Lawsuit

Do You Know About…

Spinal Cord Stimulator lawsuits

Spinal cord stimulator lawsuits are being investigated for individuals who suffered unnecessary shocks, burns or other problems, often resulting in the need for additional surgery to remove the SCS.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION

Lithium battery fires are often quite difficult to extinguish. In several reports, firefighters had such difficulty extinguishing the fires that they had to bury the batteries to put the fire out.

The FDA recommends healthcare facilities take certain steps to prevent any adverse events from mobile medical cart battery malfunction.

  • Inspect all batteries for signs of damage, including bulging, swelling or cracks.
  • Notify manufacturers of damaged batteries.
  • Inspect battery chargers and carts containing chargers for overheating components.
  • Vacuum the mobile medical carts to remove dust and lint around battery chargers and carts containing chargers.
  • Do not use batteries that do not charge properly.
  • Do not install chargers or charging carts in confined spaces.
  • Keep flammable and explosive objects away from battery chargers and charging carts.
  • Request preventative maintenance documentation from cart manufacturers.

If a fire occurs, report it immediately according to hospital protocol, do not touch the battery, unplug the charger or power off the cart if safe to do so, and remove the cart from patient and visitor areas.

If a mobile medical cart or battery malfunctions or catches fire, also report problems to the FDA via the MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.

Martha Garcia
Written by: Martha Garcia

Health & Medical Research Writer

Martha Garcia is a health and medical research writer at AboutLawsuits.com with over 15 years of experience covering peer-reviewed studies and emerging public health risks. She previously led content strategy at The Blogsmith and contributes original reporting on drug safety, medical research, and health trends impacting consumers.

Tags: Battery, Crash Cart, Explosion, Fire, Hospital, Lithium Ion Batteries

More Lawsuit Stories

0 Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Comments

This field is hidden when viewing the form
I authorize the above comments be posted on this page
Post Comment
Weekly Digest Opt-In

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

MORE TOP STORIES

Amazon Nitrous Oxide Death Lawsuit Set for Trial in December 2027
A federal judge has scheduled a nitrous oxide wrongful death lawsuit trial against Amazon.com for December 2027.
Olympus Colonoscopy Lawsuit Over C. Diff Infection Set for Status Hearing in September 2026
An initial status conference is slated for September 29 to discuss an Olympus colonoscopy lawsuit claiming the company’s medical cameras spread infectious materials from one patient to another.
Hearing on Abbott, Nevro SCS Lawsuit MDL Centralization Set for September 2026
The JPML will hear oral arguments in late September over whether to consolidate all federal Abbott Laboratories and Nevro spinal cord stimulator lawsuits for coordinated pretrial proceedings.