Pressure injury prevention measures: overview of systematic reviews

Summarizing the evidence from systematic reviews regarding the comparison the effectiveness of interventions to prevent pressure injuries.

Overview of systematic reviews conducted in accordance with Cochrane guidelines. A search was performed in databases, repositories and systematic review registration sites.

15 reviews were included in this overview. The sensitivity analysis showed a reduction in the incidence of pressure injuries with nutritional supplementation compared to the standard hospital diet (Relative Risk (RR) = 0.83; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.72-0.95). There was evidence of the superiority of constant low-pressure surfaces (RR = 0.38; 95% CI;0.24-0.61), alternating pressure devices (RR = 0.31; 95% CI:0.17-0.58) and alternative foams (RR = 0.40; 95% CI:0.21-0.74) when compared to the standard hospital mattress or standard foam. The use of a silicone cover reduced the incidence of pressure injuries by 75% (RR = 0.25; 95%CI:0.16-0.41) when compared to no cover.

Although some interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of pressure injury, the evidence is limited or very limited and subject to change. Registration CRD42017064586.