Pressure Injury: Integrating Scientific Evidence into Clinical Practice
A July 2025 editorial in *Advances in Skin & Wound Care* highlights the evolving body of evidence shaping pressure injury prevention and management. It emphasizes the importance of aligning care with the updated fourth edition of the International Pressure Injury Guideline, a living document that incorporates diverse evidence sources.
Key Highlights:
- Evidence Sources Vary: Clinicians can draw from expert opinion, patient preferences, case studies, randomized trials, systematic reviews, and clinical guidelines.
- Fourth Edition Guideline: The NPIAP–EPUAP–PPPIA International Pressure Injury Guideline is now in its fourth edition and updated continuously as new data emerges. It’s accessible for free online.
- Adaptation Is Essential: The editorial emphasizes that guideline statements must be customized to local settings—hospitals, long-term care, or community-based care—acknowledging resource variation and contextual differences.
- Living Guideline Model: This dynamic approach ensures rapid integration of emerging evidence into clinical recommendations, keeping practice current.
In essence, pressure injury prevention and treatment should be evidence-informed, context-specific, and adaptive to new scientific findings and evolving care environments.
Based on “Pressure Injury Scientific Evidence for Practice Change,” *Advances in Skin & Wound Care*, Volume 38, Issue 6—July 2025.
Keywords: pressure injury, clinical guidelines, NPIAP, international guideline, evidence-based practice