A survey of pressure sores in the over sixties on two orthopaedic wards

The Norton, Waterlow, Braden, and Care Dependency ScalesL Comparing Their Validity When Identifying Patients' Pressure Sore Risk

“…[11][12][13][14] When a cut-off point of 16 was used, Pang and Wong 9 found the sensitivity to be 0.81 and the specificity 0.59. 7-10 Using a cut-off point of 14, reported sensitivities range from 0 to more than 0.80, and the scale's specificity varies from 0.31 to 0.94.…”

Factors that contribute to pressure sores in surgical patients

“…While these studies suggest that time intensifies the detrimental effects of pressure on tissue, Roberts and Goldstone (1979) reported a negative correlation between time and the development and severity of pressure sores. In their sample of 31 elderly, orthopaedic patients, those who developed pressure sores were older and rated on the Norton Scale as being at greater risk for pressure sores than patients who remained pressure sore free.…”

“…Repeatedly, increasing age has been correlated with higher risk of pressure sores (Andersen & Kvorning, 1982;Gerson, 1975;Gosnell, 1973;Manley, 1978;Seiler & Stahelin, 1985). In elderly surgical patients, the incidence of pressure sores ranged from 20 to 66% (Roberts & Goldstone, 1979;Versluysen, 1986). Factors contributing to this high incidence may include changes in soft tissue structure, increased incidence of pathology in the elderly, and higher likelihood of relative immobility (Gosnell, 1973;Krouskop, 1983).…”

Predictive validity of the braden scale for pressure sore risk in a nursing home population

“…The sample in the Gosnell study was similar to this study in age and setting. Three tests of the Norton Scale (Goldstone & Goldstone, 1982;Lincoln, Roberts, Maddox, Levine, & Patterson, 1986;Roberts & Goldstone, 1979) were conducted in acute care settings. While the Braden Scale clearly performed better in acute care settings than the Norton Scale (see Table 2), the comparisons between previous studies of the Norton Scale and the current study of the Braden Scale were mixed.…”