Braden Scale Calculator — Pressure Injury Risk Score
Assess a patient's risk of developing pressure injuries by scoring six clinical subscales — sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction/shear. The Braden Scale total ranges from 6 (highest risk) to 23 (lowest risk).
Sensory perception
Moisture
Activity
Mobility
Nutrition
Friction and shear
Score range: 6 (highest risk) to 23 (lowest risk)
- 1
Sensory + Moisture + Activity
4 + 4 + 4 = 12 - 2
Mobility + Nutrition + Friction
4 + 4 + 3 = 11 - 3
Braden Score
12 + 11 = 23Lower score = higher pressure injury risk (6 = highest risk, 23 = lowest).
How does this calculator work?
The Braden Scale sums six subscores — sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction/shear — into a total of 6–23. A score ≤12 signals high to very high pressure injury risk; 13–14 moderate; 15–18 mild; ≥19 minimal. Lower scores require more intensive preventive interventions.
Formula
How this is calculated
The Braden Scale, developed by Barbara Braden and Nancy Bergstrom in 1987, quantifies pressure injury risk across six independently assessed subscales. Five subscales — sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, and nutrition — are each scored 1–4, where 1 indicates the greatest impairment. Friction and shear is scored 1–3 because it has fewer clinically distinguishable levels. The total ranges from 6 (fully incapacitated, highest risk) to 23 (no impairment).
Widely used adult risk thresholds are: ≤9 very high risk, 10–12 high risk, 13–14 moderate risk, 15–18 mild risk, and ≥19 no significant risk. Some guidelines shift the mild-risk threshold to ≤18 for patients older than 75, reflecting increased skin fragility with age. Paediatric versions of the scale — the Braden Q and Braden QD — use modified subscale definitions appropriate for children.
The Braden Score guides preventive intervention intensity: repositioning frequency, specialty mattress selection, skin care protocols, and nutritional support. A score is a screening tool, not a diagnostic decision — always interpret it alongside a full skin assessment and an individualised care plan.
Frequently asked questions
A score of 12 or below is generally high to very high risk in adult care settings. Scores of 13–14 indicate moderate risk, 15–18 mild risk, and ≥19 no significant risk. Some institutions set the general at-risk threshold at ≤18, especially for older or post-operative patients.
Guidelines typically recommend every 24–48 hours in acute care and weekly in long-term care settings, with additional assessment after any significant change in condition such as surgery, new illness, or change in mobility. More frequent scoring is appropriate for very-high-risk patients.
The scale was validated mainly in adult acute and long-term care. Its predictive accuracy varies across settings; it tends to over-predict risk in some community populations and under-predict in patients with medical devices causing device-related pressure injuries. Use it as part of a comprehensive clinical assessment, not as a standalone predictor.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Braden Scale Calculator — Pressure Injury Risk Score [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/braden-score-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Braden Scale Calculator — Pressure Injury Risk Score." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/braden-score-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Braden Scale Calculator — Pressure Injury Risk Score," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/braden-score-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_braden_score_calculator, title = {Braden Scale Calculator — Pressure Injury Risk Score}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/braden-score-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
Did this calculator help you?