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Use of Restraints and Bedrails in a British Hospital
Author(s) -
O'Keeffe Shaun,
Jack Catherine I.A.,
Lye Michael
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1996.tb02944.x
Subject(s) - medicine , observational study , confusion , logistic regression , cross sectional study , nursing homes , emergency medicine , pediatrics , nursing , psychology , pathology , psychoanalysis
OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of restraint and bedrail use in a British hospital. DESIGN Cross‐sectional observational study. SUBJECTS Six hundred sixty‐eight patients in the acute medical, surgical, and geriatric beds of a large British teaching hospital on a single night MEASUREMENTS Observed use of restraints and bedrails. Reasons for restraint use were determined by interviews with nursing staff and examination of the case notes. RESULTS Fifty‐six (8.4%) patients had bedrails raised. No other restraints were in use. Reported indications for bedrail use were: prevention of falls (52 patients), prevention of wandering (1), and patient request (3). In stepwise logistic regression analysis, bedrail use was associated significantly with agitated confusion, age 70 years or more, and stroke, while patients on the acute geriatric wards were significantly less likely to have bedrails raised. CONCLUSIONS Restraint use is relatively uncommon in Britain. Nevertheless, inappropriate use of bedrails is a reason for concern.