Patient Referral and Pressure Injuries: A Systematic Review.
Yahan Wang, Hongxia Tao, Xinmian Kang and 3 others
PMID 40974192WHAT IT FOUND
Pressure injuries occurred during patient transport, with an overall incidence of 9.4%.
The review associates risk with longer and repeated transfers, devices, and support surfaces, so skin checks and prevention need to start in transport.
Key findings
01A random-effects meta-analysis estimated the overall incidence of pressure injuries in transported patients at 9.4% (95% CI: 3.0%-15.8%, I2 = 86.768%, p < 0.000).
02In one included study, patients who developed pressure injuries had longer transport times in ambulances (71 min vs. 59 min) and on stretchers (44 min vs. 37 min).
03Multiple transfers (≥ 2) were associated with a 27 times higher risk of pressure injuries than a single transfer.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only Chinese and English studies were included, so relevant work in other languages may be missing. Only eight studies were included, and four were used for the incidence meta-analysis, so the estimate is based on a small evidence base. The included studies had high heterogeneity (I2 = 86.768%), so the pooled incidence should be read as a broad signal rather than a precise rate. The meta-analysis focused on incidence, not on prevention strategies.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the 9.4% incidence as a precise rate for your service. The meta-analysis had high heterogeneity (I2 = 86.768%) and included only four studies.