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Fun Facts About Hospital Beds

• Back in the 1800s, hospital beds were just ordinary wooden beds. They could not be raised, lowered, or otherwise adjusted — nothing special about them at all.
• The first manually adjustable hospital bed was invented in 1909. Nursing staff would have to wait until the 1940s–1950s before fully-electric, motorized beds arrived for increased safety, convenience and patient independence.
  
• It is not uncommon for modern fully-electric hospital beds to weigh over 450 pounds, and sometimes over 750 pounds, due to their heavy-duty construction. Their high weight is necessary to ensure stability, safety, and durability for patient care, especially given the increasing average body weight of patients today.
• Many hospital beds today include built-in scales so nurses can weigh patients without moving them.
• ICU beds are some of the most high-tech beds available. They can automatically adjust positions to prevent pressure injuries and improve circulation.
• Railings on the side of hospital beds are not just for safety. They also help patients reposition themselves and assist with getting in and out of bed.
  
• The best hospital beds are designed with caregivers in mind as well as patients. They can be lowered close to the floor to reduce fall risks, and raised high enough to protect nurses' backs while providing care.
• Some hospital beds have special pressure-relief mattresses with alternating air pockets that inflate and deflate automatically to help prevent bedsores. They can even gently rotate patients side-to-side to prevent lung complications and skin breakdown.