Braden scale
The Braden scale is an aid for assessing the risk of pressure ulcers in nursing and elderly care .
Classic Braden scale
The scale was developed in 1987 by the two American nursing scientists Barbara J. Braden and Nancy Bergstrom as the " Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk ". It is a scoring system and records the risk factors of pressure exposure and tissue tolerance using six criteria:
- Sensory awareness
- activity
- mobility
- humidity
- nutrition
- Friction and shear forces
According to the older and now seldom used Norton scale , each of these criteria is assigned a value from one point to four points. The rating with a point describes the characteristic which is most favorable for the development of the pressure ulcer. In the case of the “sensory perception” criterion, this is the complete failure of stimulus perception. Four points are awarded if the corresponding criterion is completely healthy or normal. The sum of the respective scores leads to a classification in different risk categories, from a “general risk” with 15 to 18 points to a “very high risk” with less than 9 points. Appropriate prophylactic and other nursing measures are recommended depending on the risk .
| 4 points | 3 points | 2 points | 1 point | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensory awareness | not limited | slightly restricted | highly limited | completely failed |
| Moisture (of the skin) | seldom damp | sometimes damp | often damp | constantly damp |
| activity | regular walking | restricted walking | bound to chair / wheelchair | bedridden |
| mobility | not limited | slightly restricted | highly limited | complete immobility |
| General eating habits | Good nutrition | adequate nutrition | probably inadequate nutrition | poor diet |
| Frictional and Shear Forces | no noticeable problem | potential problem | manifest problem |
The Braden scale was not developed for a specific patient group and is considered the best scientifically researched scale for assessing the risk of pressure ulcers.
Braden Q scale
The Braden Q scale was developed in 1996 by Martha Curley and Sandy Quigley especially for the field of paediatrics. Another criterion "tissue perfusion and oxygen supply" has been added. The Braden Q scale thus comprises seven criteria:
- Sensory awareness
- activity
- mobility
- humidity
- nutrition
- Friction and shear forces
- Tissue blood flow and oxygen supply
Web links
- A translation of the Braden scale and the Braden Q scale
- Official website of the developers of the Braden scale
- Expert standard pressure ulcer prophylaxis in nursing
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.bradenscale.com/
- ↑ Care today. Textbook for nursing professions. 3rd ed. Urban & Fischer bei Elsevier; 2004.
- ↑ http://www.kinderkrankenpflege.at/download/20090918-12JT-Abstracts.pdf ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
