Prevalence of Physical Restraint: a Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Physical restraint (PR) is commonly used in healthcare institutions worldwide and controversial strategies in the medical field. The purpose of this study was to determine the PR prevalence in adult patients at a university hospital in Turkey. Materials and Methods: An observational and cross-sectional design was carried out. Prevalence rates were computed. A total of 6698 patients in 30 units were evaluated at 10 unit visits between July-September 2018. Patient and PR information form was used. Two researchers visited the units and proceeded with data collection. The study population consisted of all patients who were present in the hospital on the day of data collection. Results: Among 6698 patients, 287 (4.3%) patients were restrained. The highest overall prevalence of 69.6% was in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU). The main reasons reported for using restraints were the prevention of pulling out medical devices (47 %). Age (p = 0.000) and units (e.g., surgical units, ICUs) (p = 0.000) were statistically significant predictors of PR. Age (p = .000) and units (p =.000) were statistically significant predictors of PR. The results show that for every additional 0.038 year in patients age, the patient becomes 1.038 times more likely to be restrained. Conclusion: In Turkey, the rate of application of PR is similar to that of world figures. Age is a very important variable in the use of PR. As they get older, their risk of being exposed to PR increases.