Risk factors, prevention and management of wound blistering: a scoping review

Background:

Blistering to the skin causes pain and increased risk of infection, and impacts an individual’s physical and psychological health, while increasing the burden on clinicians and healthcare systems. Blistering is recognised as a significant problem associated with surgical wounds, particularly following orthopaedic surgery, and specifically following hip and knee surgery. Healthcare professionals must adopt approaches to prevent and effectively treat blistering to optimise care and promote recovery.

Objectives:

To identify risk factors for causation of wound blisters To identify the ideal dressing to prevent wound blisters To explore how to prevent wound blisters.

Methods:

Searches were conducted in Medline, British Nursing Index (BNI), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Embase and Google Scholar, without date limits.

Results:

Of the 177 papers located, 29 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review.

Conclusions:

There is a significant lack of research exploring risk factors that can lead to skin blistering. The research available is outdated and unclear, with a lack of consistency. Large-scale empirical international studies are needed to enable standardised guidance across all healthcare settings. Additionally, there is a need for healthcare professionals to work collaboratively to prevent skin blistering and manage wounds effectively.