Germany to investigate electrical care bed faults:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
An increase in the malfunction of electrical care and hospital beds, which have caused fires, resulting in the deaths of several patients has prompted the German federal institute for pharmaceuticals and medical devices (BfArM) to propose an investigation into the occurrences. It has informed the federal states' authorities of several potential hazards including faulty sockets, defective connections between motors, flawed earthing of equipment or a failure to protect circuits from fluids. Also involved in the enquiry are a panel of experts, a German notified body and the federal department for criminal affairs.