The Performance of the Scott Triggers™ Instrument in Predicting Perioperative Pressure Injury (PPI) Development.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of the Scott Triggers (ST) instrument in predicting perioperative pressure injury (PPI) development in the adult general surgical patient population.

DESIGN

A retrospective, exploratory design was used.

METHODS

The study was conducted using a convenience sample of medical records of adults (>=18 years) undergoing inpatient non-cardiac surgery at a large, regional health system from January 1, 2021 to June 1, 2023. The outcome of interest was any stage PPI. Instrument psychometrics were assessed using multiple accuracy measures including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and receiver operator characteristics (ROC/area under the curve).

FINDINGS: The overall predictive accuracy of ST in this population was lower than what has been previously reported, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.77. However, univariate and multivariate regression supported an ASA ≥3 as a primary predictor of PPI (OR: 6.61 and 6.30, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support the efficacy of the ASA score (ASA ≥ 3) as a reliable predictor of PPI risk, providing perianesthesia nurses with a quick and reliable data point on which to initiate PPI preventative measures.