Nursing Challenges in Pressure Injury Management: Global Prevalence Patterns and Projected Care Demands in Aging Populations

AIM: To assess the global burden of pressure injuries from 1990 to 2021 and project trends to 2050. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Using the Global Burden of Disease 2021 data from 204 countries (1990-2021), we performed a multilevel analysis incorporating age-period-cohort modelling, stochastic frontier analysis and Bayesian projections to 2050. Key metrics included age-standardised incidence rates, disability-adjusted life years and socio-demographic index stratification. RESULTS: Global incident cases increased by 160.3%, from 1.22 million to 3.18 million. By 2050, cases are expected to reach 8.4 million, with 72.4% in low-middle socio-demographic index areas. Mortality among those aged 95 and older may triple. CONCLUSION: The study emphasises the need for global collaboration to address the burden of pressure injuries through equitable prevention and improved healthcare infrastructure, especially in ageing and resource-limited regions. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The escalating global burden of pressure injuries in geriatric populations necessitates evidence-based approaches to optimise healthcare resource allocation and advance nursing-led prevention frameworks. REPORTING METHOD: The STROBE checklist guided reporting. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Global Burden of Disease collaborators extracted the data and analysed it.