Nursing care in patients with dependency-related skin injuries in the community: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose: Dependency-related skin injuries (DRSI) occur in people who need a high level of support to carry out day-to-day activities. Owing to the ageing population, the number of people at risk of DRSI is increasing. Most wound care is performed by nurses in the community. This scoping review aimed to identify the extent of literature on nursing care for patients with or at risk of developing DRSI living in their own home. Materials and methods: A scoping review was conducted. Results: Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Five main themes emerged: features of the community setting (community nursing, role of the wound specialist and community patients); prevention strategies around aetiology and holistic care (nutrition, quality of life and pain); care management (communication and continuity of care)and local wound care (basic care, asepsis, specific to type of lesion and palliative approach). Conclusion: Although most wounds occur in and are treated in the community, there is a paucity of research on wounds in this setting. The care of patients with DRSI in the community is complex and prevention according to the individual aetiology of each lesion is the key factor in wound care.