Black Patients More Likely to Be Restrained in the Emergency Room

By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black

Black patients are more likely than other racial groups to be restrained during emergency department (ED) visits, according to a new study by Baylor University College of Medicine. The findings  — released in JAMA Internal Medicine on Sept. 25 — are based on a systematic review of 10 studies published through February 2022. 

Physical restraint in EDs is used to protect patients and staff from harm, but may have negative consequences, such as aspiration, physical trauma, and psychological harm for those being treated. 

The team of researchers found that physical restraint was a rare occurrence during ED visits. However, of the 24,030 events of physical restraint represented in the review, Black adults were disproportionately impacted.

“The absolute event rate for restraint use was relatively low, less than 1%, but our results suggest that Black patients have a higher risk of restraint than patients of other racial groups,” said Dr. Vidya Eswaran, corresponding author of the paper and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor. 

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