PRESSURE INJURY PREVENTION Figure 2. Flow Diagram of Literature Search Results
time were more likely to develop a PI, which emphasizes the importance of implementing preventive measures during the entire periop- erative period. In a systematic review with meta-analysis,
Liang et al9
concluded that the risk of developing a PI was 1.77 times more for surgical patients with diabetes than for patients without diabetes. Addi- tionally, the researchers concluded that patients undergoing cardiac surgery had a higher risk of developing a PI than those undergoing hip or gen-
756 2.1.2
eral surgery, and those undergoing lower extrem- ity amputations had the lowest risk. The research- ers proposed a correlation between the severity of the surgery and the development of a PI.9 Darkly pigmented skin is a risk factor because
of the difficulty in observing subtle changes in the skin color during assessment for PI.2,43
Perform a preoperative assessment of addi- tional factors that may increase the patient’s risk for PI. Assess the patient for the presence of