Purpose: This paper was to develop an elbow restraint which can reduce the side effects of the wrist restraint which was frequently used in an intensive care unit and to evaluate its application.
Methods: A nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design was used. Subjects were 38 patients(elbow restraint group: 18, wrist restraint group: 20) and 20 nurses who used both restraints in medical intensive care unit at G National University Hospital. Restraints were applied to subjects for 72 hours. Data were collected from December 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010. The data collected were analyzed using x2-test, Fisher’s exact test, t-test, and ANCOVA using SPSS 12.0 program.
Results: Elbow restraint significantly decreased range of wrist motion reduction, swelling and significantly increased the convenience of wearing restraint compared to wrist restraint.
Conclusion: The new elbow restraint are more efficient than the old wrist restraint, which have been used in an intensive care unit, in terms of convenience of restraint application, range of joint motion and prevention of swelling.
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