[Mechanical restraint: its use in intensive cares].

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Patient Safety
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Mechanical restraint (MR) is utilized in critical care settings.
• Understanding the impact and procedures of MR is crucial for patient safety and care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact and evaluate the procedure of mechanical restraint (MR) use in a critical care unit.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, prospective study was conducted.
• Data collected included patient demographics, clinical presentation, indications for MR, techniques, and devices used.
• Statistical analysis involved mean, standard deviation, and percentages using SPSS 14.0.

Main Results:

• The study included 85 cases, with a 15.6% incidence of MR.
• The primary indication for MR was the risk of disrupting treatment processes (80%), with nurses making the initial decision in 94.1% of cases.
• Verbal containment was used in 100% of cases prior to MR, and pharmacological methods in 48.2%.

Conclusions:

• Mechanical restraint (MR) has a significant incidence in critical care.
• The main reason for MR is to prevent interruption of therapeutic processes.
• There is a need for enhanced professional training regarding the legal and ethical aspects of MR.