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[quote=Anonymous]RN here.  Into oblivion?  No.  But enough so they stop engaging in whatever dangerous thing they are engaging in?  Yes.  And often times this will make them lethargic/out of it/sedated.

I work in a hospital.  We use this typically on patients who are hurting themselves and others and nothing we've done has been able to stop it.  Unfortunately I've been hit, kicked, bitten by many confused patients.  Not all require chemical restraints. But some can be quite dangerous.  Pulling at medical equipment like IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen, etc and we've tried other ways to prevent it.  Or constantly getting out of bed when they are a major fall risk and having a 1:1 or video monitoring device is not working.

In a lot of these instances, the options are either a chemical restraint or physical restraint.  Physical restraints often cause more confusion, anxiety, and threat to the patient.  We try to choose the lowest dose of the least potent medication we can.

Now, that's not to say there aren't instances where chemical restraints are over used.  Sure, it would be much easier to restrain everyone who is setting off their bed alarm or constantly pulling off their oxygen.  But that's not appropriate or ethical.

I'd ask for documentation about what is being done before chemical restraints are used.  I'd look into providing a private caregiver if it's something you can afford.  I'd look into how often it's being given. If it's multiple times a week, it's time to come up with an alternative solution. Maybe they need a med adjustment or have a new med added to their daily nighttime routine.  Maybe a med is causing this increased agitation.  Have they been screened for a UTI?   [/quote]

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