The association of biological sex and long-term outcomes in older patients with physical restraint at the emergency department.

Background: The worldwide population is ageing and self-arm can be prevented with many techniques. Among them coercive measure consisting of physical restraint (PR) is one of the techniques. This study aims to assess the effects of the biological sex on the long-term survival after PR in geriatric patients during the initial emergency department (ED) visit.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients between November 2019 to March 2021. All consecutive hospitalized patients after emergency department visit older than 75 years with PR were included. The population was compared according to the biological sex. One-year all-cause mortality was plotted with the Kaplan-Meier curve. Hazard ratios (HRs) for 1-year mortality were calculated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Mortality was monitored over a 3-year period.

Results: PR was used in 149 patients representing 4.6% of 3210 hospitalized patients older than 75 years after ED visit. Women represented 52% of the study population. Compared to men, women were older [median (IQR) age 89 (85-93) vs. 85 (81-90) years, P = 0.002]. Women more often presented dementia (93 vs. 80%, P = 0.031). Both sexes presented the same limited independence. All-cause mortality was significantly lower for women than men after one year (25 vs. 51%, respectively, P = < 0.001). Likewise, adjusted HR of 1-year all-cause mortality was higher in men [a HR 3.4 (95% confidence interval 1.7-7.1), P < 0.001].

Conclusion: This study suggested that the use of physical restraint in older adults was a more related factor of mortality in men than women. Women were older with lower expectancy life but PR use seemed to be a sign of global health decline in men. Further prospective studies are needed to assess if mortality after PR use is a cause or a consequence of a global health decline.