The Incidence of Pressure Ulcers in Surgical Patients: A Systematic Review

The aim is to assess the incidence of pressure ulcers among adults undergoing surgery. Systematic review methodology was employed. Databases including Cochrane, Ovid Medline, Embase, EBSCO, CINAHL Plus and Scopus were searched in August 2024. The data extracted were imported into Excel for analysis. Simple descriptive statistics were used for the analysis purposes. The data are presented using means and standard deviations. The evidence-based Librarian checklist was used for the quality appraisal. The Systematic Review Protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023449194). A total of 35 studies were included. The mean pressure ulcer incidence was 17.22% (range from 0.05% to 74.2%). Studies from orthopaedics, mainly including patients undergoing hip surgeries, reported the highest pressure ulcer incidence. The most commonly reported pressure ulcer grade was stage one, and the most common anatomical locations were the sacral region and heels. Pressure ulcers remain a significant concern for surgical patients, especially those undergoing orthopaedic and cardiac surgeries. Most develop in early stages, often affecting the sacral and heel regions. However, gaps in data make it difficult to fully synthesise the scope of the problem. Standardised reporting and targeted prevention efforts are essential to reducing incidence and improving patient care.