Subscales, subscores, or summative score: evaluating the contribution of Braden Scale items for predicting pressure ulcer risk in older adults receiving home health care.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether certain Braden subscales or subscores were more important than others or the summative score in predicting stage I to IV pressure ulcers among older adults receiving home health care. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study (secondary analysis) was used. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The cohort sample included 1684 nonhospice patients who were not receiving intravenous therapy and who were admitted to the Intermittent Skilled Nursing Division of a large midwestern home health care agency between January 1995 and March 1996. The patients were > or =60 years and free of pressure ulcers. METHODS: Demographic data and data on the Braden Scale were extracted from admission information. Patient records were followed forward chronologically to 1 of 2 outcomes: development or absence of pressure ulcers (ie, free of pressure ulcers upon discharge, institutionalization, death, or the end of the study period). RESULTS: Following admission, a stage I to IV pressure ulcer developed in 107 subjects (incidence = 6.3%). Cox regression analysis revealed that activity and moisture subscale scores predicted pressure ulcer development. Regression modeling of individual Braden Scale subscores (response categories) revealed that problems with friction/shear, being very limited in mobility, and being constantly moist, very moist, or occasionally moist predicted pressure ulcer development. When the overall level of risk was added to each of these models, the Braden Scale summative score was most strongly related to pressure ulcer development. No simplified scale improved risk prediction. CONCLUSIONS: When the Braden Scale was used, the summative score rather than any subscale or subscore best predicted pressure ulcer risk among the older adults receiving home health care.     

Relationship between Braden scale score and pressure ulcer development in patients admitted in trauma intensive care unit

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the scores of Braden scale and pressure ulcer development among critically ill patients. All patients who admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) in 3 months (during July-October 2010) were surveyed with Braden scale. Patients who gained higher score of Braden scale were at lower risk for pressure ulcer development compared with the other patients. Braden scale is a useful tool for predicting pressure ulcer development in trauma ICU patients. Also, factors such as age and level of consciousness may influence pressure ulcer development.     

A prediction tool for hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers among surgical patients: Surgical pressure ulcer risk score

Surgical patients are prone to developing hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU). Therefore, a better prediction tool is needed to predict risk using preoperative data. This study aimed to determine, from previously published HAPU risk factors, which factors are significant among our surgical population and to develop a prediction tool that identifies pressure ulcer risk before the operation. A literature review was first performed to elicit all the published HAPU risk factors before conducting a retrospective case‐control study using medical records. The known HAPU risks were compared between patients with HAPU and without HAPU who underwent operations during the same period (July 2015‐December 2016). A total of 80 HAPU cases and 189 controls were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified eight significant risk factors: age ≥ 75 years, female gender, American Society of Anaesthesiologists ≥ 3, body mass index < 23, preoperative Braden score ≤ 14, anaemia, respiratory disease, and hypertension. The model had bootstrap‐corrected c‐statistic 0.78 indicating good discrimination. A cut‐off score of ≥6 is strongly predictive, with a positive predictive value of 73.2% (confidence interval [CI]: 59.7%‐84.2%) and a negative predictive value of 80.7% (CI: 74.3%‐86.1%). SPURS contributes to the preoperative identification of pressure ulcer risk that could help nurses implement preventive measures earlier.     

Concordance of Shape Risk Scale,a new pressure ulcer risk tool,with Braden Scale

The occurrence of pressure ulcers was examined in a cross‐sectional study in 23 health care facilities and in home care involving 548 patients. The screening of pressure ulcer risk was assessed simultaneously using the Braden Scale and the new Shape Risk Scale (SRS), and the results were compared. The overall prevalence of pressure ulcers in the study population was 15·5% (85/548). The Braden Scale was performed as described in the literature. The direct concordance of the Braden and SRS scales was 46%. In more than 90% of cases, the SRS classified patients as well as or better than the Braden Scale. The SRS allocates patients significantly different from the Braden Scale into the risk categories, especially the difference is significant between the low and medium‐risk categories. The greatest advantage of SRS to Braden Scale is that it correctly identifies patients with low risk of pressure ulcers. It is interesting that the two risk scores, taking into consideration the basically different pathophysiological factors, can still give rather similar results. The users considered that both scales are easy to use.     

Munro与Braden压疮评估表用于手术患者压疮评估预测效度比较

目的比较Munro与Braden评估表预测手术患者压疮的效果。方法 2名护士分别应用2种评估表,同时、独立、连续地于术前、手术结束、术后返回病房2h内对111例外科手术患者进行压疮风险评估,另1名护士在手术结束、返回病房交接、术后24h、48h、72h评估压疮发生情况并记录,计算ROC曲线下面积、灵敏度和特异度。结果手术结束11例发生压疮(9.9%),术后24h内共有4例压疮患者,其中2例新发(1.8%);Munro评估表术前、中、后的ROC曲线下面积分别为0.850、0.889、0.864,高于Braden评估表(0.727、0.724、0.600);术前、中、后Braden评估表最佳临界值分别为19分、13分、14分,灵敏度分别为0.545、0.909、0.250,特异度0.700、0.350、0.916;术前、中、后Munro评估表最佳临界值为9分、22分、29分,灵敏度分别为0.818、0.909、0.750,特异度为0.610、0.730、0.822。结论 Munro评估表评估压疮更具有针对性,对手术压疮诊断价值高于Braden评估表,但在使用过程中需要与其他医务人员配合,且个别评估指标不是常规监测项目,增加了护理工作量,需进一步研究和加以完善。     

Independent risk factors for pressure ulcer development in a high‐risk nursing home population receiving evidence‐based pressure ulcer prevention: Results from a study in 26 nursing homes in Belgium

The aim of this study was to identify independent risk factors for pressure ulcer (PU) development in a high‐risk nursing home population receiving evidence‐based PU prevention. This study was part of a randomised controlled trial examining the (cost‐)effectiveness of static air support surfaces compared with alternating pressure air mattresses. The sample consisted of 308 residents at a high risk of PU development (presence of non‐blanchable erythema, Braden score ≤ 12 or Braden subscale “mobility” ≤ 2). PU incidence was monitored for 14 days. Demographic variables; functional, physical, and psychological characteristics; and data on skin assessment were collected. Independent risk factors were identified using multiple logistic regression analysis. The overall PU incidence (category II‐IV) was 8.4% (n = 26), and 1.9% (n = 6) of the residents developed a deep PU (category III‐IV). PUs (category II‐IV) were significantly associated with non‐blanchable erythema, a lower Braden score, and pressure area‐related pain in high‐risk residents even if preventive care was provided. These results highlight the need of a systematic risk assessment, including pain assessment and skin observations, in order to determine and tailor preventive care to the needs of high‐risk individuals.     

Incidence of hospital‐acquired pressure injury: A cohort study of adults admitted to public and private hospitals in Sao Paulo,Brazil

This study aimed to estimate the incidence of hospital‐acquired pressure injury (PI) and its risk factors in inpatient and intensive care units of five hospitals (two public and three private) in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. A 6‐month follow‐up prospective cohort study (n = 1937) was conducted from April to September 2013. Baseline and follow‐up measurements included demographic and care information, as well as risk assessments for both undernutrition (NRS‐2002) and PI (Braden scale). Poisson regression with robust variance was used for data analysis. A total of 633 patients (32.60%) showed risk for PI. The incidence rate of PI was of 5.9% (9.9% in public hospitals vs 4.1% in private hospitals) and was higher in intensive care units, compared to inpatient care units (10% vs 5.7%, respectively). Risk for PI increased with age (RR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.04‐1.07); was higher in in public hospitals, compared to private hospitals (RR = 4.39; 95% CI 2.92‐6.61); in patients admitted for non‐surgical reasons compared to those admitted for surgical reasons (RR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.12‐3.27); in patients with longer hospital stays (RR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.03‐1.06); high blood pressure (RR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.17‐2.64); or had a risk for undernutrition (RR = 3.51; 95% CI 1.71‐7.24). Higher scores in the Braden scale was associated with a decreased risk of PI (RR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.75‐0.83). The results of our study indicate that 5.9% of all patients developed PI and that the most important factors that nurses should consider are: patient age, care setting, length of hospitalization, comorbidities, reason for admission and nutrition when planning and implementing PI‐preventative actions.     

The Norton, Waterlow, Braden, and Care Dependency Scales: comparing their validity when identifying patients' pressure sore risk.

OBJECTIVES: We compared the sensitivity and specificity of the Norton, Waterlow, and Braden Scales in identifying patients at pressure sore risk. An additional goal was to determine whether or not the Care Dependency Scale (CDS) is able to detect patients at risk for pressure sore development. METHODS: The investigation was part of a prevalence study involving 754 patients in 3 Berlin hospitals. A questionnaire was used containing the subscales of the 3 risk calculators (Norton, Waterlow, and Braden), and the CDS. On the specified day nurses filled in the questionnaire using data obtained from the patients' charts and direct visualization of the patients' skin. RESULTS: Thirty-four out of 754 patients had at least 1 pressure ulcer. Comparing the 3 risk assessment tools, the Waterlow scale demonstrated the highest sensitivity (0.86) and the Norton scale demonstrated the highest specificity (0.75). Individuals with pressure sores were more likely to be care dependent (t-test: P< .01); 27 of them had a CDS score lower than 55. Using the score of 55 as the cut-off point, the CDS demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.83. SUMMARY: This study demonstrated remarkable differences among the 3 commonly used risk assessment tools, in regards to sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, the CDS seems to have a diagnostic value similar to the 3 commonly used risk assessment calculators.     

预见性护理对晚期肿瘤老年卧床患者压疮发生率及Braden评分的影响

分析将预见性护理用于晚期肿瘤老年卧床患者对压疮发生率、Braden评分的影响。 方法 选取南通大学附属医院2021年-2022年收治的74例晚期肿瘤老年卧床患者为研究对象，根据患者的 入院先后顺序分为对照组和观察组，每组37例。对照组实施常规护理，观察组实施预见性护理，比较两组 压疮发生情况及Braden评分。结果 观察组压疮发生率为5.41%，低于对照组的18.92%，差异有统计学意义 （P ＜0.05）；观察组护理后知觉、营养、皮肤剪切力及摩擦力、潮湿度评分均高于对照组，差异有统计 学意义（P ＜0.05）。结论 将预见性护理用于晚期肿瘤老年卧床患者护理中可有效预防压疮风险，并提高 Braden评分。     

The effect of Web-based Braden Scale training on the reliability and precision of Braden Scale pressure ulcer risk assessments.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Web-based Braden Scale training on the reliability and precision of pressure ulcer risk assessments made by registered nurses (RN) working in acute care settings. DESIGN: Pretest-posttest, 2-group, quasi-experimental design. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Five hundred Braden Scale risk assessments were made on 102 acute care patients deemed to be at various levels of risk for pressure ulceration. Assessments were made by RNs working in acute care hospitals at 3 different medical centers where the Braden Scale was in regular daily use (2 medical centers) or new to the setting (1 medical center). INSTRUMENT: The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk was used to guide pressure ulcer risk assessments. A Web-based version of the Detroit Medical Center Braden Scale Computerized Training Module was used to teach nurses correct use of the Braden Scale and selection of risk-based pressure ulcer prevention interventions. RESULTS: In the aggregate, RN generated reliable Braden Scale pressure ulcer risk assessments 65% of the time after training. The effect of Web-based Braden Scale training on reliability and precision of assessments varied according to familiarity with the scale. With training, new users of the scale made reliable assessments 84% of the time and significantly improved precision of their assessments. The reliability and precision of Braden Scale risk assessments made by its regular users was unaffected by training. CONCLUSION: Technology-assisted Braden Scale training improved both reliability and precision of risk assessments made by new users of the scale, but had virtually no effect on the reliability or precision of risk assessments made by regular users of the instrument. Further research is needed to determine best approaches for improving reliability and precision of Braden Scale assessments made by its regular users.     

Risk Assessment Tool for Pressure Ulcer Development in Indian Surgical Wards

The aims of this paper were to compare the predictive validity of three pressure ulcer (PU) risk scales—the Norton scale, the Braden scale, and the Waterlow scale—and to choose the most appropriate calculator for predicting PU risk in surgical wards of India. This is an observational prospective cohort study in a tertiary educational hospital in New Delhi among 100 surgical ward patients from April to July 2011. The main outcomes measured included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PVP) and negative predictive value (PVN), and the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the three PU risk assessment scales. Based on the cutoff points found most appropriate in this study, the sensitivity, specificity, PVP, and PVN were as follows: the Norton scale (cutoff, 16) had the values of 95.6, 93.5, 44.8, and 98.6, respectively; the Braden scale (cutoff, 17) had values of 100, 89.6, 42.5, and 100, respectively; and the Waterlow scale (cutoff, 11) had 91.3, 84.4, 38.8, and 97, respectively. According to the ROC curve, the Norton scale is the most appropriate tool. Factors such as physical condition, activity, mobility, body mass index (BMI), nutrition, friction, and shear are extremely significant in determining risk of PU development (p < 0.0001). The Norton scale is most effective in predicting PU risk in Indian surgical wards. BMI, mobility, activity, nutrition, friction, and shear are the most significant factors in Indian surgical ward settings with necessity for future comparison with established scales.     

Inter‐rater reliability of three most commonly used pressure ulcer risk assessment scales in clinical practice

The objective of this study was to evaluate inter‐rater reliability of Braden Scale, Norton Scale and Waterlow Scale for pressure ulcer risk assessment in clinical practice. The design of the study was cross‐sectional. A total of 23 patients at pressure ulcer risk were included in the study, and 6 best registered nurses conducted three subsequent risk assessments for all included patients. They assessed alone and independently from each other. An intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine the inter‐rater reliability. For the Braden Scale, the ICC values ranged between 0·603 (95% CI: 0·435–0·770) for the item ‘moisture’ and a maximum of 0·964 (95% CI: 0·936–0·982) for the item ‘activity’; for the Norton Scale, the ICC values ranged between 0·595 (95% CI: 0·426–0·764) for the item ‘physical condition’ and a maximum of 0·975 (95% CI: 0·955–0·988) for the item ‘activity’; and for the Waterlow Scale, the ICC values ranged between 0·592 (95% CI: 0·422–0·762) for the item ‘skin type’ and a maximum of 0·990 (95% CI: 0·982–0·995) for the item ‘activity’. The ICC values of total score for three scales of were 0·955 (95% CI: 0·922–0·978), 0·967 (95% CI: 0·943–0·984), and 0·915 (95% CI: 0·855–0·958) for Braden, Norton, and Waterlow scales, respectively. Although the inter‐rater reliability of Braden Scale, Norton Scale and Waterlow Scale total scores were all substantial, the reliability of some items was not so good. The items of ‘moisture’, ‘physical condition’ and ‘skin type’ should be paid more attention. However, some studies are needed to find out high reliable quantitative items to replace these ambiguous items in new designed scales.     

A nomogram prediction of pressure injury in critical ill patients: A retrospective cohort study

Pressure injury (PI) is still a significant public health problem to be solved. Accurate prediction can lead to timely prophylaxis and therapy. However, the currently used Braden score shows insufficient predictive validity. We aimed to develop a nomogram to predict PI development in critically ill patients. We extracted data from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care‐IV v1.0. Variable selection was based on univariate logistic regression and all‐subset regression. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess the performance of the nomogram and Braden score. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to identify and compare the clinical usefulness between the nomogram model and Braden score. We have developed a novel and practical nomogram that accurately predicts pressure ulcers. The AUC of the new model was better than that of the Braden score (P < .001). DCA showed that the nomogram model had a better net benefit than the Braden score at any given threshold. This finding needs to be confirmed by external validation as well as multicentre prospective studies.     

Risk predictions of hospital-acquired pressure injury in the intensive care unit based on a machine learning algorithm

Pressure injury (PI), or local damage to soft tissues and skin caused by prolonged pressure, remains controversial in the medical world. Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) were frequently reported to suffer PIs, with a heavy burden on their life and expenditures. Machine learning (ML) is a Section of artificial intelligence (AI) that has emerged in nursing practice and is increasingly used for diagnosis, complications, prognosis, and recurrence prediction. This study aims to investigate hospital-acquired PI (HAPI) risk predictions in ICU based on a ML algorithm by R programming language analysis. The former evidence was gathered through PRISMA guidelines. The logical analysis was applied via an R programming language. ML algorithms based on usage rate included logistic regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Distributed tree (DT), Artificial neural networks (ANN), SVM (Support Vector Machine), Batch normalisation (BN), GB (Gradient Boosting), expectation–maximisation (EM), Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). Six cases were related to risk predictions of HAPI in the ICU based on an ML algorithm from seven obtained studies, and one study was associated with the Detection of PI risk. Also, the most estimated risksSerum Albumin, Lack of Activity, mechanical ventilation (MV), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), Surgery, Cardiovascular adequacy, ICU stay, Vasopressor, Consciousness, Skin integrity, Recovery Unit, insulin and oral antidiabetic (INS&OAD), Complete blood count (CBC), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score, Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), Steroid, Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM), Braden score, Faecal incontinence, Serum Creatinine (SCr) and age. In sum, HAPI prediction and PI risk detection are two significant areas for using ML in PI analysis. Also, the current data showed that the ML algorithm, including LR and RF, could be regarded as the practical platform for developing AI tools for diagnosing, prognosis, and treating PI in hospital units, especially ICU.     

Risk for undernutrition and development of pressure injury in hospitalised patients in Brazil: Multicentre prospective cohort study

Although pressure injury (PI) is preventable, the number of patients developing this type of injury is still high. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to assess whether high risk for undernutrition was a risk factor for PI in 1937 patients aged ≥18 at six hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Patients'' risk for undernutrition was assessed using three unique screening tools. Risk for PI was assessed using the Braden Scale. Data were analysed using Poisson regression with robust variance (95% CI, P ≤ .05). While 57.1% of patients were at risk for undernutrition in the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002), only 36.8% and 2.6% were at risk in the Braden Scale Nutrition Subscale (BSNS) and Subjective Global Assessment of Nutritional Status (SGANS), respectively. The cumulative incidence rate was 5.9%. Of those who developed PI, 91.2%, 56.2%, and 18.4% were at risk for undernutrition in the NRS 2002, BSNS, and SGANS scales, respectively. We found a significantly higher risk for PI in patients who were at risk for undernutrition compared with those who were not at risk, supporting previous evidence about the role of undernutrition as a key risk factor for PI in hospitalised patients.     

Factors affecting the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers in COVID‐19 patients admitted with a Braden scale below 14 in the intensive care unit: Retrospective cohort study

The pandemic of coronavirus (COVID‐19) has significantly increased the admission of patients with extensive complications, especially for respiratory support, to intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. These patients also suffer from pressure ulcers (PUs) as another complication that occurs due to increased length of hospitalisation and acute conditions of patients. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of PU and the factors affecting it in COVID‐19 patients admitted to ICUs. This cohort retrospective study used registry data in Imam Reza Hospital located in west of Iran. Four hundred and forty‐five COVID‐19 patients older than 20 years hospitalised in corona ICUs from 20 March 2020 to 30 December 2020, with a Braden score of less than 14 were included in the study. To investigate the relationship between variables in rate prevalence, univariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratio, and for incidence rate in estimating PU risk generated in ICUs, hazard ratio was calculated using cox regression. One hundred and eighty‐three (41.12%) patients were male. The mean age of patients was 63 (SD = ±9.78) years. A total of 1152 cases of PU were generated, with the highest prevalence of PU with 234 cases in the sacrum. One hundred and seventy‐six (55.87%) patients underwent non‐invasive ventilation ulcers. The prevalence of PU was 79.7%. The highest prevalence was found in people over 80 years with 90.67%. The incidence ratio was 46.74%. The highest number of new cases was seen in diabetic patients with 60.96%. First‐degree ulcers were the most common degree of ulceration in 252 (55.38%) patients. Incidence and prevalence excluding first‐degree wounds were 24.04% and 49.66%, respectively. Age, Braden score, BMI, comorbidity, diabetes mellitus, stool incontinence, Glasgow coma scale, vasopressor, and length of hospital stay were significantly associated with PU (P < .05). The incidence and prevalence of PU in patients were high in this study. The length of hospitalisation and Braden score were the most important factors in the development of PU. The widespread prevalence of COVID‐19 and the relatively long stay of patients in the ICU created unfavourable conditions for patients and the treatment system, therefore, it emphasised the use of appropriate measures to prevent PU to avoid double costs and longer stays.     

Characteristics of hospitalised US veterans with nosocomial pressure ulcers

The objective of this study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics of hospitalised US veterans with nosocomial pressure ulcer (NPU) referred to a certified Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nurse (WOCN). We conducted a retrospective review of electronic records at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the northwestern USA. Records of veterans with NPU referred to a WOCN (n = 29) from May 2005 to June 2006 were reviewed. Location and stage of pressure ulcer(s), Braden score on admission and when the ulcer was first noted, day of hospital stay when the ulcer was first noted, medical diagnoses and clinical conditions and events such as surgery, hypoxemia, hypoalbuminemia and hypotension were recorded. Mean age of the patients was 69·8. The most common location was the sacrum/coccyx. Most ulcers were stage 1 when identified. Braden score during admission classified half of the sample at risk, but 81% of Braden scores at ulcer occurrence were <18. Ninety percent of the sample had three or more comorbidities. Over half had died in the 1–14 months after the reviewed hospitalisation. Hospitalised veterans referred for WOCN consultation had multiple risk factors and comorbid conditions, including hypoxemia, serum albumin depletion, anaemia and hypotension. Veterans cared for in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers are known to have multiple health problems, and those in this sample not only had nosocomial pressure ulcer, but also other physiological derangements that may shorten survival.     

Acute stress disorder in the paediatric surgical children and adolescents injured during the Wenchuan earthquake in China

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) in the paediatric surgical children and adolescents injured during the Wenchuan earthquake in China. One hundred eighteen children and adolescent inpatients were surveyed by the ASD scale (ASDS) within 1 month of the earthquake. Using the validated ASDS score above cut‐off threshold levels, the incidence of ASD in this sample was 54.3 per cent. The morbidity of ASD were 56.1, 24.6 and 19.3 per cent in the child, in the early adolescent and in the middle adolescent, respectively. There was no significant difference among the three age groups about the severity of ASD symptom. The proportions of ASD positive were 44.0 per cent in boys and 63.6 per cent in girls that showed significant difference. The exposure risk factors were being buried in the earthquake, injury of parent, injury of relatives, amputation and operation. These results indicated that ASD was widely prevalent among the children and adolescents wounded in the earthquake, which needed an effective psychosocial intervention. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.