Restraint use among selected hospitalized elderly patients in Cairo, Egypt

This study's primary objective was to investigate the prevalence of physical and chemical restraint use in selected elderly hospitalized patients.

This study was conducted in April 2014 in four major acute care hospitals. Trained data collectors assessed the use of physical and chemical restraint among all admitted elderly patients. There were 287 elderly patients (median age 64 years, 46% women). 32 patients were restrained. The overall prevalence of restraints was 11.1%, with physical restraint use alone at 3.2% and chemical restraints use alone at 7.3%. Restraint use varied by hospital type, with the highest at the private hospital (22.9%) and the lowest at the two university hospitals (< 6%). In conclusion the prevalence of physical and chemical restraint use among admitted elderly patients in Egypt is comparable to that seen in developed countries. However, the use appears to vary widely by hospital type. The use of restraints in the elderly remains an important question considering the increasing number of elderly.