A Comparison of the Braden Q and the Braden QD Scale to Assess Pediatric Risk for Pressure Injuries During Noninvasive Ventilation.

Background: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) masks are implicated in 59% of respiratory device-related pressure injuries in hospitalized children. Historically, the Braden Q scale was not adequate in identifying risk for pressure injury associated with devices and, therefore, was modified to the Braden QD scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Braden QD scoring tool is better able to identify pediatric patients receiving NIV who are at risk for the development of pressure injury as compared to the previously used Braden Q scale.