[Physical restraints in hospital. A systematic overview].

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Quality
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Physical restraints are widely debated and used in nursing homes.
• Their frequency in hospital settings remains largely unknown.
• This study addresses the gap in epidemiological data on hospital restraint use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and critically appraise prevalence and incidence studies on physical restraints in hospitals.
• To assess the methodological quality of existing research.
• To highlight areas for improvement in future epidemiological studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of CINAHL, Embase, and Medline.
• Inclusion criteria applied to identify relevant prevalence and incidence studies.
• Critical appraisal of study definitions, data collection, and bias mitigation.

Main Results:

• Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, but methodological quality was generally limited.
• Definitions of physical restraints varied, with bedrails included in only two studies.
• Few studies provided clear definitions, sample size rationale, or bias avoidance strategies.

Conclusions:

• Existing research on physical restraint use in hospitals is of limited methodological quality.
• Inconsistent definitions and data collection methods hinder reliable prevalence estimates.
• Future studies require internationally agreed quality criteria for robust epidemiological data.