A narrative review on pressure ulcer (PU) studies relevant to medical imaging

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as localised injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissue as a result of pressure or pressure together with shear. PUs present significant health implications to patients; costing billions to manage and/or treat. The burden of PU prevention in hospitals must be the concern of all healthcare professionals, including radiographers. The purpose of this narrative review article was to identify and critically evaluate relevant literature and research conducted into pressure ulcers (PUs) relevant to medical imaging. It is expected that this review article will increase the level of awareness about PUs amongst radiographers and help to develop appropriate interventions to minimise the risk of PUs. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant articles. Also, books, professional body guidelines, magazines, grey and unpublished literatures were also searched. The search was limited to English Language articles. Only five articles were retrieved and reviewed. There are limited studies on PUs relevant to medical imaging. Available studies provide some evidence that radiographic procedures and settings subject patients attending for radiographic procedures to the risk of PUs. Further studies are needed into PU risk assessment, minimisation and management in medical imaging to help raise awareness and address the problem of the potential for PU development.