A report on staff injuries and ambulatory restraints: dealing with patient aggression.
1. During a 6 1/2-year period on a unit designed for repetitively aggressive male patients, nursing staff members were the recipients of 95% of aggressions and 97% of serious injuries. 2. Two-point ambulatory restraints, called Preventive Aggression Devices (PADS) help liberate the patient from prolonged seclusion, but in a safe manner. 3. Patient aggression is underreported; there is a need for a standardized aggression reporting system across facilities.
Maier
G J
GJ
Forensic Program, Mendota Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin.
Van Rybroek
G J
GJ
Mays
D V
DV
D000374:Aggression; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000379:methods; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*