Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39499148›Full record

ArticlePediatric emergency care2025

Prehospital Restraint Use in Pediatric Patients With Mental and Behavioral Health Emergencies.

Caroline Cummings, Lynn Babcock, Yin Zhang, Sang Hoon Lee, Hamilton Schwartz, Olga Semenova, Wendy J Pomerantz, Cincinnati Children's Prehospital Care Committee

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric emergency care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Caroline CummingsFrom the College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Lynn BabcockDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.ORCID 0000-0002-2658-6893
Yin ZhangDivision of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
Sang Hoon LeeDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Hamilton SchwartzDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Olga SemenovaDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Wendy J PomerantzDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Cincinnati Children's Prehospital Care Committee

Funding

LCenter for Clinical and Translational Science and TrainingUL1TR001425 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · PI MEINZEN-DERR, JAREEN, STRAWN, JEFFREY ROBERT · 2015 to 2024
$37.5M
Center for Clinical and Translational Science and TrainingUM1TR005265 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · PI Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Jeffrey Robert Strawn · 2025 to 2026
$10.6M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001425NCATS NIH HHS UM1 TR005265
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe aims of the study are to characterize children with mental and behavioral health conditions (MBH) transported by emergency medical services (EMS) and examine differences in patient, emergency department (ED), and EMS transport characteristics based on restraint interventions during EMS transport.

methodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of EMS patients with MBH crises, aged 5-18, transported to 2 pediatric EDs over 9 years. Demographic and ED data were collected electronically; EMS data were extracted manually from prehospital care records. Field interventions studied included pharmacologic and mechanical restraints by EMS clinicians. Univariate analysis compared variables between patients who received EMS restraints and those who did not and multivariable logistic regression identified patient factors independently associated with EMS restraint use.

resultsAmong 10,264 patients transported by EMS for MBH crises, 1400 encounters were randomly selected, with 768 records available. EMS restraint interventions were used in 73 (9.5%) patients: 5 (0.7%) received only pharmacologic restraints, 58 (7.6%) received only physical restraints, and 10 (1.3%) received both. Those who received EMS restraints were more likely to be younger (35.6% vs 19.6%, P = 0.001), male (71.2% vs 44.6%, P < 0.0001), and had longer scene times (13 vs 9 min). Restraint use was more common when patients were picked up from schools (30.1% vs 14.8%, P = 0.007). EMS-restrained patients were also more likely to receive physical (12.3% vs 2.3%, P < 0.0001), mechanical (15.1% vs 1.0%, P < 0.0001), or pharmacologic (24.7% vs 3.9%, P < 0.0001) restraints in the ED. Predictors of EMS restraint use were male sex (odds ratio, 3.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.74-5.17) and being picked up from schools (odds ratio, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-3.81), whereas age group, race, and insurance type were not independent predictors.

conclusionsNearly 1 in 10 pediatric patients experiencing mental health crises and transported by EMS required restraint interventions in the field. Male patients, younger aged children, and those picked up from school represent a distinct and vulnerable population that could benefit from specialized prehospital care to manage agitation.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesMental DisordersRestraint, PhysicalAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolEmergenciesEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID39499148
PMCPMC12629511

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.