Physical interventions to manage patients with brain injury: An audit on its use and staff and patient injuries from the techniques

Abstract

Primary objective: To report the use of physical interventions (PI) used to manage aggressive behaviour in a neurobehavioural unit and any injuries that were sustained to patients and staff during its implementation.

Research design: A retrospective audit was adopted utilizing a standard accident and incident recording database.

Methods and procedures: Records of PI utilized to manage the aggressive behaviour of 75 adults with acquired brain injury were analysed over the course of one calendar year. In addition duration PI, frequency of use and injuries sustained to staff and patients from its application were investigated.

Main outcomes and results: During the 12 month period records were audited, PI was used on 1427 occasions. The majority (90.1%) lasted less than 10 minutes. Injury rates to patients (0.98%) and staff (6.5%) were both considerably lower than those rates reported for other clinical populations.

Conclusion: Use of PI with people who have an acquired brain injury is particularly challenging due to complex patterns of physical impairment that can be an outcome of this condition. This study describes how a multidisciplinary approach to the application of PI and the contribution of the physiotherapist in particular can result in comparatively low injury rates.

• Physical intervention
• aggression
• physical restraint
• neurorehabilitation
• physiotherapist
• management