What You Need to Know About Siderail Entrapment

When a patient is caught, trapped, or entangled in the siderails of a hospital bed, the consequences can be serious. Siderail entrapment can injure a patient’s head, neck, and chest and cause strangulation or suffocation. In some instances, siderail entrapment can result in death.

Since 1985, there have been over 800 siderail entrapment incidents reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). From these 800 incidents, over 480 patients have died, and 138 were injured as a result of entrapment. Incidents occurred in openings within the siderails, between the rails and mattress, under siderails, between split rails, and between the rails and head/footboards.

Who is At Risk for Siderail Entrapment?

Though siderail entrapments most commonly affect elderly patients, there have been patients as young as 10 months old that have experienced entrapment incidences. As a result, patients of all ages are at risk for siderail entrapment, especially if the patient has been identified as having multiple risk factors.

A patient may be at greater risk if they are:

• Confused, agitated, or have memory issues
• Using sedatives or psychoactive drugs
• Experiencing uncontrolled body movements
• A fall risk
• Experiencing serious sleeping problems
• Incontinent
• Limited in mobility

Confining a patient to the bed using siderails can prevent patients from toileting or other routine activities, and can increase the likelihood of patient falls or entrapment. Siderail entrapments most commonly occur when a patient attempts to exit the hospital bed unassisted over, through, or around the siderail. This is a common issue for patients who are experiencing serious sleeping problems or who are incontinent.

Patients with uncontrolled body movements and with limited mobility, or who are confused may find themselves involuntarily trapped in the siderails. Without nurse assistance, the consequences can be fatal.

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