Postoperative pressure injuries in adults having surgery under general anaesthesia: systematic review of perioperative risk factors

Background Pressure injuries (PIs) after surgery affect thousands of people worldwide. Their management is expensive, a cost that can be reduced with proper preventive measures. Patients having surgery under general anaesthesia are at risk of developing PI, yet no specific tool has been developed to assess the risk in these patients. This review aimed to summarize the published data on perioperative risk factors associated with the development of PI in adults having surgery under general anaesthesia. Methods All studies reporting on risk factors associated with the development of PI were included. Data were extracted from all articles and meta-analysis was performed when three or more studies reported on a specific variable. Results The analysis identified five factors significantly associated with the development of PIs: cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus, low haemoglobin level and longer duration of surgery. Factors not associated included serum albumin concentration, use of vasopressors during surgery, use of corticosteroids, sex and age. Conclusion Cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus, anaemia and duration of surgery should be taken into consideration when trying to identify surgical patients at high risk of developing PIs. These factors could be used to predict PIs after surgery.