[Use of physical restraints in an elderly population living in public nursing homes].

Objective: To determine the prevalence of the use of physical restraints in public nursing homes through the Residents' Functional Classification Information System in order to assess the introduction of a protocol designed to reduce and rationalize the use of these devices.

Material And Methods: Twenty-five public nursing homes in the autonomous region of Madrid were included in this study. The following data on the use of physical restraints were analysed: frequency of use (daily or less than daily), type of device, level of functional dependence for activities of daily living, and severity of cognitive impairment.