Using the Braden Scale to predict heel pressure ulcer development in hospitalized patients with peripheral arterial disease

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to attempt to determine if the Braden Scale predicts heel pressure ulcer development in hospitalized patients with peripheral vascular disease. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 235 medical records of patients admitted to the hospital with a primary and secondary diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease. One hundred thirty-two of the records reviewed were excluded from the study due to a confounding diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Of the 103 medical records that met criteria, only three patients developed a heel pressure ulcer. All patients were white and over the age of 80. Of the three patients who developed heel ulcers, two had Braden scores of 18 or less and one had a Braden score of greater than 18. The findings do raise many important questions for further study and the need for a more precise measure of risk of heal ulcers.