Medline says it has received reports of seven deaths associated with its recalled beds, up from two in October

Medline has now received reports related to seven deaths and 35 serious injuries associated with the hazards behind its recall of every Medline-brand bed, rail and mattress, the company said in an update that the Food and Drug Administration posted on November 13. The count runs to November 8. An FDA early alert, last updated October 29, said Medline had reported two deaths and 16 serious injuries as of October 20.

The recall began on October 14, when Medline wrote to customers that it was withdrawing and discontinuing all of its brand beds, rails, mattresses and accessories, such as hand-control pendants and motor boxes. The company says it sold them in the United States and Canada between 2011 and 2026, to medical equipment suppliers, long-term care facilities and directly to users. The FDA's alert lists homecare, bariatric and long-term care beds, along with replacement parts and order packages that include a bed.

What can go wrong

The FDA describes two separate risks. The first is fire. Electrical parts, including the pendant, the control or motor box and the motors, can overheat under conditions that include heavy loads, jammed motors, a damaged pendant or one that liquid has gotten into, and the use of extension cords or of pendants and accessories not made or approved by Medline. Overheating can lead to smoke, sparks, melting or fire, which the agency says can lead to electrical shock, burns, long-term breathing problems from smoke, or death.

The second is entrapment. According to the alert, a person can become trapped or asphyxiated if the bed is used with any bed accessory, if someone lies on a pendant, or if the rails are loose or wobbly. The FDA calls the case a potentially high-risk device issue and says it is reviewing information and will update its page.

What Medline tells owners

In letters on October 24, Medline changed its first advice and said the beds may stay in use until they are repaired or replaced, under new instructions that the FDA repeats in its alert. Medline tells users to keep the bed unplugged, plugging it in only while repositioning the patient, never to power it through an extension cord, and to have a second person help when possible. It also says owners should not try to repair or alter a bed themselves unless Medline instructs them to through its authorized process.

Repair, replacement or refund

Under the repair and replacement program that Medline announced in its October 24 letters and describes again in the November 13 update, certain beds may be eligible for repair, after which they can be used according to their instructions for use. Where Medline decides a bed or accessory cannot be repaired, it will work out with the customer whether a replacement or a full or partial refund of the purchase price applies. Those options may be available for products bought in the last five years, the company says; the FDA notes that older products remain subject to the recall and the usage instructions.

Medline says it will soon send illustrated repair and replacement guides to patients and users. People who received a bed through a medical equipment provider or distributor should contact that supplier to check eligibility, the company says. Those who bought directly from Medline can call its recall customer service line at 1-800-950-0128, option 7, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, or email recalls@medline.com. Injuries and other problems can be reported to the FDA's MedWatch program.

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