Prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers/injuries in emergency services: A systematic review protocol

Aim: To develop a systematic review protocol on the prevalence and/or the incidence of pressure ulcers/injuries in adult patients in emergency services. Materials and methods: This protocol was developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items Form Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for systematic reviews of prevalence and incidence studies. The inclusion criteria will be based on the CoCoPop mnemonic. The main variables of interest will be the "prevalence" and/or the "incidence" of "pressure ulcers/ injuries" (Condition) reported in studies developed in emergency services (Context), with participants aged 18 or more (Population). This Systematic Review Protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CDR42021252906). Results: If meta-analysis is not possible, the syntheses of quantitative data will be presented in a narrative form to address the scope and objectives of this systematic review. Tables, graphs and/or figures will be designed to present the results of the prevalence and the incidence of pressure ulcers/injuries, their body locations and the respective categories/stages. The Systematic Review is currently ongoing. Conclusions: Prevalence and incidence systematic reviews are an emerging methodology in the field of evidence synthesis. We believe that the systematic review on prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers/injuries in emergency services can provide useful information for healthcare professionals and policy makers about the dimension of this problem in a specific context. The standardized approach outlined in this systematic review protocol offers a rigorous and transparent method to conduct the review.