Restraints too Tight?

[laxxrickLPN]

I am a first year nursing student and I have a question relating to restraints.

My father had respiratory failure and was on a ventilator in the ICU. When he was there, I noticed everytime I went in his wrist restraints were extremely tight and his hands swelled up horribly and the restraints began to cut his wrists. I loosened them everytime I went there, at least four times.

He was in the hospital more than a month ago, but he still has excruciating hand pain in the wrist that had the restraints on too tight. When he went back to the hospital, they are saying he has carpal tunnel syndrome.

I suggested getting a second opinion, because as tight as those restraints were, and the fact he'd never had a hand problem before he was in ICU last time, I feel that they may be saying CTS because they knew the restraints were too tight for very long periods of time.

My question is, isn't that the responsibility of the nurse to write in the care plan that the restraints need to be loosened so they are not cutting off circulation every so often?

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

I suppose you british people are a lot more unflappable and a few kicks to the boat or pillicock by some punter probably wouldn't make you go orifice-about-face.

the simple answer is why is someone stil intubated when not anaesthetised ... if the plan includes stopping anaesthetic agents while the patient still needs invaisve vetilatory support why haven't they got a tracheostomy?