An investigation into the use of serum albumin in pressure sore prediction

OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the relevance of serum albumin and serum sodium as predictors of pressure sores in addition to the Waterlow score. DESIGN: Observational study of patients at risk of developing decubitus ulcers. SETTING: Staffordshire, in the midlands of the United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: 773 elderly hospital in-patients of a district general hospital. MEASUREMENTS: Waterlow scores and serum albumin and sodium. Development of a pressure sore. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis of serum albumin, serum sodium and the Waterlow score showed the Waterlow score and serum albumin were significant predictors of pressure sores. CONCLUSIONS: Serum albumin may, in this patient group (in-patients over 64 years of age), be a useful predictor of pressure sore occurrence, though further work is needed to establish whether this is the case. Risk assessment of pressure sores can possibly be improved by adding serum albumin to one of the pre-existing tools such as the Waterlow score.