Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

Physical restraint towards the geriatric patient is a sadly frequent phenomenon all over the world. The purpose of this review work is to investigate, from the data in the literature, how widespread the event is and the reasons that lead to it, provided by health professionals. Research from 019 showed that, in European countries, while the prevalence of physical restraint was 37.5%, the incidence was 62.5%. Other studies in different parts of the world reported similar results in terms of percentages. Restraint causes consequences on the person both from a physical and a psychological point of view and therefore attention is paid to the ethical aspect of the problem. In particular, we analyze the coincidence between restraint and cognitive deficits, specifically dementia and delirium, these alterations have been associated with a greater probability of containment. The research has identified the continuity of the patient's treatment, the management of agitation, wandering, combined with the lack of staff, the lack of adequate training of operators and the inadequate organization of clinical competitions. The perception of students and nurses towards the use of restraint was also explored, resulting in conflicting impressions, on the one hand the need to maintain patient safety and on the other the guarantee of personal rights. Finally, the aim was to identify strategies in nursing and organization in order to prevent restraint or reduce it to cases of extreme necessity.