Please reply!!

Nurses General Nursing

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Does anyone know if it is ok to place a patient in restraints if they are at risk for having siezures? For some reason, I always thought that patients on Siezure Precautions should NOT be placed in restraints Please respond!!!

Smitty,RN

23 Posts

At my hospital, our policy is to pad 4 siderails for seizure precautions. I don't think a restraint should be used unless absolutely necessary- like pt may harm self or others. We've been taught not to intefere with a seizure- But we have had patients in DT's restrained...

This probably wasn't any help- sorry!

NurseMom

21 Posts

Where I work, you pad the siderails for pt's on seizure precautions...never use restraints on ANY patients.

Funny about this restraint thing...last year I visited my Dad in the hospital after he had some surgery, and there in the hall was an Alzheimer's patient tied into a chair. She had a sheet tied around her waist and knotted at the back of the chair, and both of her wrists were tied to the arms of the chair...this was right in the hallway! My Dad said that this woman would call out for her husband night and day. I felt kind of sorry for her, and can imagine how her family would feel if they came in and saw her that way. She must have been a wild woman to require being tied into a chair during the day.

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Laurie :)

so many patients...

so little time.....

PPL, BSN, RN

173 Posts

NurseMom, you can't be serious! Never use restraints on ANY patient? Have you ever worked in psych? What about our nurse friends in ER's? I work on acute rehab unit and we just had a patient in four point restraints, padded side rails, etc. Is that a patient that can even BE rehabed? Yes, but not until the agitated stage of traumatic brain injury improved, then the patient moved from restraints to a four sided/soft sided caged bed, etc. I don't think it's realistic to think you should NEVER use restraints, but I agree that if there's any better ways to protect the patient and/or staff, it should of course be tried first; no doubt about it. Thanks.

CEN35

1,091 Posts

Specializes in ER, PACU, OR.

I must agree with PPL. There is no way to say, never restrain a patient. However, any of the seizure patients I have seen in the ER, do not need restraining. If they are having a seizure, they don't need restraints. If they are post ictal they don't need restraints. Most people after theses stages are pretty calm.I would never restrain a seizure patient, unless it was d/t the DT's from alcohol withdrawel and they were a threat to others safety.

NEVER restrain a patient? NOT

CEN

bunky, BSN, RN

187 Posts

I can't understand the need to restrain a seizure patient unless there's an underlying condition such as DT's, or they are a violent psych patient. I agree though that sometimes restraints are necessary for people who are going to hurt themselves or others. I'd rather see a restraint then a broken hip. The thing about your experience Nursemom is that tying a sheet around someone is NOT a proper restraint and had anything happened to that woman, heads would have rolled!

NurseMom

21 Posts

Sorry Guys!

I failed to say that I work on a sub-acute rehab unit (although the majority of our pt's are high acuity ). I don't work in the ER..and yes, I do feel that there are many instances where a patient should be in tied restraints for our and their safety. I do not feel that leaving a crying senior citizen tied up in sheets in the hallway of a hospital is appropriate just because someone felt she was being a pain in the a**

I've heard a few horror stories about restrained patients who weren't monitored and wound up with injuries because of them...one even ended with the patients death from choking to death from the ties.

IM Haldol anyone????

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers!

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Laurie +]:p

so many patients...

so little time.....

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