Vanry A-5A

Full-Fowler is the manufacturer's product name, and on this bed, it refers to a backrest and leg section that can both be raised. In nursing, Fowler's positions range from semi-Fowler's, with a modest backrest angle, to high Fowler's, with the patient sitting close to upright. The A-5A's maximum backrest angle is not published, so the name alone does not confirm which position it reaches. Ask the seller for the backrest and leg angles in writing.

Staff work at one height for every task, so they cannot raise the patient for washing and dressings or lower them for transfers. A 2014 experimental study of nursing staff found that raising the mattress to hip height significantly increased the time spent working upright, with perceived exertion of 9.8 at hip height against 17.3 at knee height on the 15-point Borg scale. A 500 mm bed plus a mattress will sit well below hip height for most adult staff. HSE guidance states that where patients need to be handled in bed, you must consider electric profiling beds under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, and record that consideration before choosing a fixed-height bed for dependent patients.

It depends on the patient and the mattress. With a mattress on top, the sitting surface rises above 500 mm, which can suit taller patients standing up from the edge of the bed and leave shorter patients unable to place both feet flat on the floor. It is not a low-bed height, so patients at high risk of falling from bed need an individual assessment and may need different equipment. Ask whether the 500 mm figure is measured to the deck or to another point, then add the mattress thickness you intend to use.

A 2018 systematic review of 43 studies found that in most studies of healthy people and of patients with lung disease, heart disease, neuromuscular disease or obesity, lung function measures were higher in more upright positions. The same review found the opposite in people with tetraplegic spinal cord injury, whose forced vital capacity was higher lying flat. Sitting up helps many breathless patients, but the position should follow the individual's condition. The backrest crank provides the sitting position, and the angle it reaches should be confirmed in quotation marks.

With the backrest raised on its own, patients tend to slide toward the foot of the bed, and the resulting shear on the skin is a recognised contributor to pressure damage. The 2025 international pressure injury guideline suggests keeping the head of the bed at 30 degrees or lower for at-risk patients, where their condition allows, and advises elevating the thighs when the head must go higher to limit sliding. The second crank on the A-5A lets you follow that advice.

The datasheet confirms only the two functions and the overall dimensions. The photo shows split side rails, an under-deck mesh rack, moulded boards, four castors, and a red-marked part near one castor, but none of these is listed as standard supply. One rail panel also carries printed lettering, so buyers who need unbranded equipment should ask about plain panels. Ask the seller to itemise every supplied part, including castor diameter and brake type.

In the UK, MHRA guidance (Bed rails: management and safe use) and National Patient Safety Alert NatPSA/2023/010/MHRA require an individual risk assessment before rails are used. They also require gap checks between the rail, mattress and boards, and planned preventative maintenance with recorded inspections. A fixed bed height means a patient who climbs over a raised rail falls from the same height every time, which belongs in the falls part of that assessment. Request the rail height, gap dimensions and the mattress thickness the rails were designed for.

No power supply, motor or handset is listed, so the bed needs no socket and sits outside portable appliance testing. With no height mechanism listed, its moving parts are limited to two drive assemblies. In the UK, it remains work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, so maintenance and staff training still apply.

IEC 80601-2-52:2026 is the current international standard for adult medical beds, and its scope includes manual beds with or without adjustable functions. Some declarations still cite IEC 60601-2-52:2009 with its 2015 amendment, so ask which edition the A-5A was tested against. A bed of this kind is typically Class I under UK MDR 2002, or higher depending on use; confirm this against the declaration of conformity at order. Great Britain accepts CE-marked devices under transitional arrangements. At the same time, the MHRA consults on indefinite recognition, and a manufacturer outside the UK needs a UK Responsible Person for the GB market. Conformity requirements differ by destination market, and the seller confirms what applies where the unit is going.

The datasheet prints the code as A-5 followed by a circled letter A, with the product name Full-fowler Manual Bed and a two-crank description. Quote all three on the purchase order and ask for the same identification on the declaration of conformity. That keeps the two-function, fixed-height specification tied to the paperwork, the spares and any field safety notice.

It does not suit patients who need a lot of bedside care from staff, because the working height cannot change. It is built for adults, and it should not be allocated to bariatric patients until a safe working load is published. Patients at high risk of falling from bed, patients too short to stand safely from its height, and care needing head-down tilt all need different equipment.