Hospitals: Too Many Shocks

With the growing array of plug-in appliances in the average U.S. home, the danger of electrical shock is considerable. In hospitals, the hazard is often far greater. And the sicker the patient is, the greater the danger, for he is likely to be wired to a battery of electronic monitoring and assistance devices. Yet while most household devices from irons and toasters to dishwashers come with a little tag reading "UL [for Underwriters' Laboratories] Approved," there is no comparable standard of approval for hospital equipment.

According to Dr. Carl Waldemar Walter of Boston's...

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