Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on medical adhesive-related skin injury: education, awareness and practice
Ray Samuriwo, Vita Boyar, Anika Fourie, Heidi Hevia, Norbert Kolbig, Biagio Nicolosi, Jenny Prentice, Heri Setyanto, Steven Smet, Kevin WooObjective:
Medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI) represents a significant clinical challenge affecting patient outcomes and healthcare costs, with a reported prevalence of up to 37.15%. Despite growing awareness of MARSI, gaps persist in standardised prevention and management approaches. To assess healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives on the prevalence, impact and management of MARSI, while identifying gaps in education and the application of clinical protocols.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, 39-question global survey was conducted among HCPs between 15 March and 9 April 2026. Data were collected from a global subset of 951 self-identified HCPs involved in wound care across 68 countries. Analysis utilised descriptive statistics to determine frequency and identify trends in clinical practice, product usage and MARSI education and guidance.
Results:
Clinical recognition of MARSI was almost universal (92.8%), with 45.6% of respondents encountering these injuries at least weekly. The most frequent injury types were skin tears (70.4%) and irritant contact dermatitis (68.1%). While existing literature focuses on device fixation, this survey identified wound dressing applications for hard-to-heal (59.6%) and surgical (53.2%) wounds as drivers of injury. A strong clinical preference for silicone-based adhesives was identified (>70%), with 82.3% of HCPs perceiving them as effective in reducing MARSI risk. Despite high awareness, significant institutional gaps persist: 75.7% of respondents lacked formal MARSI risk-assessment protocols, 65.4% relied on informal skin assessment and 36.3% had received no specific MARSI training.
Conclusions:
While clinical awareness of MARSI has improved significantly over the last decade, institutional support remains fragmented. The reliance on informal assessment rather than standardised protocols creates a critical implementation gap between clinical recognition and formal practice. The findings of this survey highlight a clear need for the integration of evidence-based prevention strategies alongside formalised institutional frameworks and enhanced professional education to mitigate the clinical and economic burden of MARSI.