Multirall Patient Transfer Lift Recall Issued Following Reports of Deaths and Serious Injuries

Federal health officials have announced a Class I recall for certain electric patient lifts commonly used in hospitals and care facilities, after dozens of reports indicating the sling may detach from the carriage hooks, causing patients to fall and suffer serious injuries, which may have contributed to at least two deaths so far.

The FDA announced the Liko patient transfer lift recall on February 22, following at least 34 complaints of problems where the carriage slings detached from the overhead frame of the device, resulting in nearly two dozen serious injuries.

The recalled patient lifts include approximately 11,600 Liko Multirall 200 overhead devices equipped with a large metal frame and carriage sling to move individuals from room to room, hospital bed to wheelchair, or used as a standing and raising aid for patients. The overhead electric lifts use a carriage sling designed to hoist the patient.

According to the recall warning, the Q-link strap locks connected to the patient carriage sling may not properly fasten to the overhead S65 carriage hooks on the frame of the lift, which could allow the patient or motor to unexpectedly fall from elevated heights.

On December 18, 2020, manufacturing firm Hillrom of Batesville, Indiana, issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction letter after receiving 34 complaints about this device issue and 22 reports of serious injuries, resulting in two fatalities.

The warning identified the Liko Multirall 200, Universal SlingBar 450 R2R, Universal SlingBar 350 R2R, Carriage D45 with Double Hook, Extension belt 300-400 mm, Extension belt 400-600 mm, Extension belt 600-1000 mm, and Extension belt 1000-1400mm could be prone to detaching risks.

The Hillrom Liko patient transfer lifts were manufactured from December 2000 through October 2020 and were distributed for sale to hospitals nursing home facilities and other medical care facilities from December 17, 2000 through October 1, 2020.

Since the original manufacturer notice, the FDA has upgraded the recall to Class I, the most serious recall classification, indicating there is a reasonable probability use of the device could cause serious patient injury or death.

Hillrom is instructing hospitals and other customers to inspect each Multirall installation throughout the facility to determine if they contain recalled slings or extension belts and to fill out the response form provided in the Urgent Medical Device Correction letter to be emailed back to the manufacturer at MOD1322@hillrom.com. Once the response form is returned, Hillrom will coordinate for a distributor to replace the Q-Link strap with the Q-Link 2 strap.

Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding the recall are encouraged to contact Hillrom Technical Support by phone at (812) 934-7777.