Physical Restraint in Critical Care Settings: Will They Go Away?

The critical care setting is perhaps the last major health care setting in which physical restraint remains a common, and oftentimes unquestioned, practice. This is despite the numerous regulations and accrediting standards that have limited or even eliminated practitioners’ use of physical restraints in other health care settings. The decision to use physical restraint in the care of critically ill patients can be complex and is influenced by characteristics of the patient, the practitioner, and the environment. What do we know about physical restraint practice in critical care settings, and what steps must we take if we are, indeed, to become “restraint-free” environments?