Patient Referral and Pressure Injuries: A Systematic Review.

Aims: To analyse and discuss the basic conditions and related factors of transported patients' PIs and attract the attention of healthcare providers to PIs.

Design: Systematic review.

Data sources: Databases including CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO and Cochrane Library were used, and manual searches of reference lists were also performed. The search timeframe was from the inception of the databases up to December 2023.

Methods: According to the PRISMA, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Data were combined using meta-analysis, and relevant factors were explored through descriptive analysis.

Results: A total of eight articles were included, comprising 3512 participants. The prevalence of PIs among transported patients ranged from 5.2% to 7.92%, with an incidence rate of 9.4%. PIs were mainly classified as Stage 1 and Stage 2. Common sites included the sacrum, buttocks and heels. Risk factors included the duration and frequency of the transfer, equipment environment, age and BMI and patient source.

Conclusion: Patients during transport represent a special population at risk of developing PIs; healthcare providers and managers should increase their focus on PIs management for transported patients while ensuring the patients' life conditions.

Impact: Current evidence indicates that transferred patients are at risk of developing PIs. High-quality studies are needed to validate these results to support healthcare providers in implementing precise and effective management.

Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution because of the review.

Trial registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023493742.