The ethics of physical restraint in the Emergency Department (and elsewhere) has always been an emotive and controversial issue. Recently a vanguard of advocacy groups and regulatory agencies have been aiming to reduce and optimize its use, resulting in new guidance around physical restraint. This article considers prevailing opinions surrounding physical restraint in the Emergency Department using a Principlist model of medical ethics (specifically that of Beauchamp and Childress’ four pillars). It also examines the ethical underpinning of the new guidance on the usage of restraint. Ultimately, examination from a Principlist perspective suggests the use of physical restraint in the Emergency Department is justified, as long as it is used carefully. Despite this, physical restraint can have severe physical and psychological consequences for patients, and work needs to be continued into its reduction and optimization.

急诊科（和其他地方）的人身约束伦理一直是一个情绪化和有争议的问题。最近，倡导团体和监管机构的先锋队一直致力于减少和优化其使用，从而产生了有关身体约束的新指南。本文使用医学伦理学的原则主义模型（特别是 Beauchamp 和 Childress 的四大支柱模型）考虑了围绕急诊科身体约束的流行观点。它还检查了有关使用约束的新指南的道德基础。最终，从原则主义者的角度进行的检查表明，只要谨慎使用，在急诊科使用身体约束是合理的。尽管如此，