Mechanical Restraint for Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals: Increased VTE Risk?

Patients with severe mental illness are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) because of reduced mobility, medical comorbidities, antipsychotic use, and lifestyle factors such as smoking. Whether mechanical restraint adds to this risk has been uncertain (Figure 1). To learn more, investigators conducted a population-based study using Danish registry data and two complementary designs.