Medlines recalls 1.5M adult bed rails after 2 die by asphyxiation

May 31 (UPI) -- Medline Industries on Thursday recalled 1.5 million adult portable bed rails due to a risk of entrapment and asphyxiation.

According to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Medline recalled its Bed Assist Bar after it received two reports of death from entrapment.

The deaths, which happened in July 2019 and November 2023, involved a 76-year-old woman in Iowa and an 87-year-old woman in South Carolina.

The recall applies to bed rails with model numbers MDS6800BA and MDS6800BAH. The two models are identical, except the former was sold individually, and the latter was sold in cases of three.

When the recalled product is attached to the user's mattress, the user can become stuck between the rail and the mattress, posing a risk of entrapment or death by asphyxiation, according to the CPSC.

Medline sold about 1.5 million Bed Assist Bars between July 2009 and March 2024.

The company also sold about 5,522 units in Canada, but has received no reports of death or injury there.

Consumers were told to stop using the recalled bed rails and contact Medline at 866-359-1704 or [email protected] for a full refund.