title: Procedural restraint use in preverbal and early-verbal children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children frequently undergo diagnostic and therapeutic procedures while in hospital. To conduct these procedures safely, preverbal and early-verbal children in particular are often restrained. However, the literature on procedural restraint use is very limited. We set out to describe the extent of restraint use in 4 common procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective observational study at an urban tertiary children's hospital emergency department, children aged 6 to 42 months undergoing 4 commonly performed procedures (intravenous insertion [IV], nasogastric tube [NGT] insertion, metered-dose inhaler [MDI] use, and oxygen saturation [O2 sat] measurement) were recruited. An independent observer assessed the extent and forcefulness of restraint use. Results were analyzed descriptively by age and procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-four patients were recruited. All successful procedures (n = 123) were completed in 3 or fewer attempts, with 102 (82%) successful on the first attempt. Physical restraint was used in 89 (72%) of 124 patients overall. All patients undergoing IV (n = 33) and NGT insertion (n = 30), 64% of children requiring MDI (21/33), and only 18% of children requiring O2 sat measurements (5/28) were restrained. Twenty-three (79%) of the NGT insertions and 16 (48%) of IV insertions required moderate or forceful restraint. No or gentle restraint was used for 24 (73%) of MDI use and 100% of saturation measurements. Overall, 41 (87%) of 47 children 6 to 18 months old required restraint use as compared with 28 (68%) of 41 of 18- to 30-month-olds and 20 (57%) of 35 of 30- to 42-month-olds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Procedural restraint use in preverbal and early-verbal children is extensive, and significant amounts of force are used, which vary by procedure. Restraint use diminishes with age. A scoring system for restraint use is suggested based on the number of body parts restrained.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crellin
authors.forename: Franz E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Babl
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D036501:Metered Dose Inhalers; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D018962:Phlebotomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen