Moisturisers, emollients, or barrier preparations for the prevention of pressure injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Search terms were derived with database searches including ProQuest, CINAHL, Medline, Science Direct, Scopus and the Cochrane library. The Robins1 and Risk of Bias 2 (Rob2) quality appraisal tools were used. A meta-analysis of the effects of interventions was conducted (random effects). Four studies met the inclusion criteria, with heterogeneous quality. Pooling of non-randomised studies found that the application of emollients, moisturisers or barrier preparations did not significantly reduce incidence of pressure injury compared to standard care (relative risk 0.50 95% CI 0.15-1.63, Z=1.15 p=0.25). This review suggests that the use of inert moisturisers, emollients, or barrier preparations for preventing pressure injuries was not effective to prevent pressure injury in aged care or hospital settings. However, there was a distinct lack of randomised controlled trials, with only one meeting the inclusion criteria. One included study which utilised a combination of neutral body wash and emollient demonstrated a significant reduction in development of stage one and two pressure injuries. This combination of care may further support skin integrity and should be further examined in future trials.