π©Ί Braden Scale Calculator
Pressure injury risk from six clinical subscales. For care planning.
For clinical and caregiver education only. Care decisions belong to the care team.
The Braden Scale is the most widely used pressure ulcer risk tool in hospitals and nursing homes worldwide. It scores six factors, sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction, on a 6 to 23 scale where lower means higher risk. This calculator walks through each subscale and returns the total, the risk band, and the prevention steps that band calls for.
How to Use This Calculator
Rate each of the six subscales honestly for the person you are assessing. The total and risk level appear automatically.
Work through the six dropdowns, picking the description that best matches the person's current condition.
Read the total: 19 to 23 is no risk, 15 to 18 mild, 13 to 14 moderate, 10 to 12 high, 9 or below very high.
Follow the suggested actions for the band, and share the score with the care team. A score of 18 or below generally triggers a prevention care plan.
The Six Subscales
Barbara Braden and Nancy Bergstrom developed the scale in 1987 from a conceptual model of pressure injury formation: pressure intensity and duration on one side, tissue tolerance on the other. Sensory perception, activity, and mobility govern how much pressure the skin endures; moisture, nutrition, and friction govern how well tissue tolerates it. That model is why the scale works across settings from ICUs to home care: it measures mechanism, not diagnosis.
Score it on admission, whenever condition changes, and on a schedule the facility sets. The most common scoring error is rating the person you wish they were rather than the person in the bed: score today's reality, including the bad days. When in doubt between two descriptions, take the lower score; the scale is a safety tool, and safety tools should err cautious.
Worked Example
An 82-year-old, two days post hip surgery: sensory slightly limited (3), occasionally moist (3), chairfast (2), slightly limited mobility (3), adequate nutrition (3), friction potential problem (2). Total = 16: mild risk. The suggested actions: encourage mobility as therapy allows, keep a turning schedule even in the chair, inspect skin daily with attention to heels and sacrum, and keep nutrition adequate as appetite returns. If the same patient becomes completely immobile (1) and very moist (2) with very poor intake (1), the total drops to 11: high risk, and the plan escalates to a pressure-redistribution surface and two-hour repositioning.
What Each Risk Band Triggers
The score is only useful if it changes care. At 19 to 23, routine care suffices. At 15 to 18, add a turning schedule, daily skin inspection, and mobility encouragement. At 13 to 14, add heel offloading, moisture barriers, and a nutrition review. At 12 or below, escalate to a pressure-redistribution mattress, repositioning at least every two hours, and a dietitian consult. Document the score and the interventions together; a score without a plan is just a number in a chart.
Prevention beats treatment by orders of magnitude. A Stage 1 pressure injury can develop in hours of unrelieved pressure, while a deep injury takes weeks to heal and can become life-threatening. The two-hour turning rule exists because tissue studies show damage beginning in that window for at-risk patients. Heels deserve special mention: they have almost no padding, so float them off the mattress with a pillow under the calves whenever the score flags risk.
Limits Worth Knowing
The Braden Scale is validated and widely trusted, but it is not perfect. It can over-flag young, otherwise healthy immobile patients and under-flag people with specific risks it does not measure, like poor circulation or medical devices pressing on skin. Some ICUs add device-related checks alongside it. It also depends on the rater: two nurses can score the same patient a point or two apart, which is why facilities train to it. Use the trend as well as the total: a patient sliding from 19 to 15 over three days is telling you something even before crossing the at-risk line. And remember this page educates; the care plan belongs to the licensed care team.
Related Calculators
Keep exploring: try our protein intake and BMI calculator for the next piece of the picture.
For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Braden Scale?
A pressure ulcer risk assessment scoring six subscales (sensory, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, friction/shear) from 6 to 23. Developed by Braden and Bergstrom in 1987, it is the most widely used pressure injury risk tool in hospitals and long-term care. Lower scores mean higher risk.
What Braden score indicates risk?
A total of 18 or below generally indicates risk and triggers a prevention care plan. The bands: 15-18 mild risk, 13-14 moderate, 10-12 high, 9 or below very high risk. Scores 19-23 are considered no risk.
How often should the Braden Scale be done?
On admission, whenever the patient's condition changes, and on a regular schedule set by the facility, often daily in acute care. Re-score after surgery, during critical illness, or when mobility or nutrition clearly shifts.
What are the 6 subscales of the Braden Scale?
Sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, and nutrition (each scored 1-4), plus friction and shear (scored 1-3). The total ranges from 6 (worst) to 23 (best). Each subscale has anchored descriptions to guide scoring.
What interventions match each Braden risk level?
Mild risk: turning schedule and daily skin checks. Moderate: add heel offloading and nutrition review. High and very high: pressure-redistribution surface, repositioning at least every two hours, moisture management, and dietitian involvement. Match the plan to the band.
Can family caregivers use the Braden Scale at home?
Yes, as a guide for discussion with the care team. It helps families understand why turning schedules and skin checks matter. But the formal score and care plan should involve the nurse or doctor managing the patient's care.
Why is friction scored only 1 to 3?
That is how the original scale was constructed: the friction and shear subscale has three anchored levels (problem, potential problem, no apparent problem) while the others have four. It is a quirk of the validated instrument, so keep it as is.
Does a low Braden score guarantee a pressure ulcer?
No. It estimates risk, and good prevention frequently keeps high-risk patients ulcer-free. Conversely, no-risk scores do not make ulcers impossible. The score guides prevention intensity; it does not predict any individual's outcome.
What is the most common Braden scoring mistake?
Scoring the patient's usual self instead of their current condition, which inflates the score. Score today's reality, including post-surgery and bad days. When torn between two descriptions, take the lower, more cautious score.
Are there alternatives to the Braden Scale?
Yes: the Norton Scale (older, five items), the Waterlow Score (popular in the UK, more items), and setting-specific tools for ICU or pediatrics. Braden remains the most studied and most widely adopted worldwide.