Senior Portable Bed Rails Recalled Over Entrapment and Suffocation Risks

This is the latest in a series of portable bed rails which have been recalled in recent years over the risk of entrapment, suffocation and death.

Federal safety officials are warning consumers to stop using over 100,000 portable bed rails sold through Amazon, Walmart and other online retailers, due to risks the devices pose an entrapment hazard and may cause asphyxiation injuries.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the Vaunn Medical Adult Bed Rails recall on March 9, warning that when the adult bed rails are attached to a bed, users can become entrapped within the bed rail or between it and the side of the mattress.

Adult bed rails are marketed for the purpose of keeping elderly family members safe from accidentally rolling off the side of the bed and injuring themselves. However, there have been a number of massive portable bed rail recalls issued in recent years, due to design problems which have caused suffocation and entrapment injuries in recent years.

The CPSC is cautioning that senior adults who suffer from mobility challenges or health issues are the most at risk of bed rail entrapment risks, as they may not be able to remove themselves if they become pinned.

This most recent bed rail recall impacts Vaunn Medical Bed Assist Rails, which consumer review sites have previously named as a top choice among those looking for preassembled bed rails that can be easily used by elderly adults.

According to the CPSC notice, the recalled bed rails include model numbers M876N-AAWH-APVM and M876N-SABK-APVM. The Vaunn Medical Bed Assist Rails with model number ending in M876N-AAWH-APVM are rectangular and made of white metal tubing with a black foam rubber grip handle, while those with model number 876N-SABK-APVM are made of black metal tubing with a rounded black foam rubber grip handle and a fabric pouch.

The bed rails were manufactured in China and imported by Einstein Associates LLC of Stafford, Texas. They were sold through online retails including BeyondMedShop.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com and eBay from December 2018 through December 2022 for between $40 and $80.

Consumers are being instructed to stop using the Vaunn Medical Bed Assist Rail adult bed rails immediately and to contact BeyondMedShop toll-free at 1-877-836-8838 for a free repair. A remedy is expected to be available in May 2023.

Bed Rail Recalls and Entrapment Risks

Late last month, the CPSC issued a separate LumaRail bed rail recall, impacting 53,000 devices that featured a similar design, following the death of an 81-year-old-man who became trapped between the rail and his mattress.

Previously, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers of the risk of bed rail entrapments after a CPSC investigation revealed there had been at least 155 deaths and five injuries between January 2003 and September 2012 linked to the use of bed rails. More than 90% of the 155 deaths were caused by entrapment in the bed rails.