Prevalence of Pressure Injury among Stroke Patients In and Out of Healthcare Settings

Pressure injury is a recognized problem for patients with stroke. Knowing the prevalence of pressure injury post stroke can guide clinical professionals and researchers to take appropriate actions for patient care and education. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding prevalence of pressure injury among patients with stroke in the hospital, and in the home with no home healthcare services and nursing homes. Original articles available in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases were searched separately by two researchers using the following keywords: stroke, cerebrovascular attack, pressure injury, pressure ulcer, bedsore, decubitus ulcer, and prevalence. The search was performed according to the PRISMA flow diagram from 2000 to 2020. After the initial review, 14 articles conducted between 2008 and 2019 were included in the final analysis. Eight studies were conducted in healthcare settings, and six studies were conducted out of hospitals. The estimated pooled prevalence for pressure injury in all studies was 3.9%. The estimated pooled prevalence for pressure injury in studies conducted in hospitals and in patients' homes with no home healthcare services and nursing homes were 3.06 and 17.25, respectively. The prevalence of pressure injury among stroke patients after hospital discharge was significantly higher than when they were hospitalized. This could indicate that this group of patients do not receive adequate care and attention for pressure injury after hospital discharge. Given the limitations of the available studies, it is recommended that further studies be conducted on pressure injury among stroke patients both at the time of hospitalization and after hospital discharge.