Validity and Reliability Study of the CALCULATE Pressure Injury Risk Scale in Intensive Care Unit Patients

Pressure injuries (PIs) are largely preventable adverse events that reduce patients' quality of life and create a substantial financial burden on healthcare systems. A PI is a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence or related to a medical device, caused by pressure and/or shear forces.

Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are among the most vulnerable groups because they are exposed to multiple risk factors, including immobility, sedation, mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic instability, and medical devices. As a result, the risk of developing PIs in the ICU is reported to be about four times higher than in other patient groups, and most cases occur between 5 and 25 days of hospitalization.

International evidence shows that PI prevalence and incidence are higher in ICUs than in general wards. PIs, especially advanced-stage injuries, are also associated with significantly increased treatment costs. In Türkiye, although rates vary across institutions, PI occurrence in ICUs remains clinically significant, and medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) constitute a considerable proportion of cases.

Preventing hospital-acquired PIs is widely accepted as an important indicator of healthcare quality and remains a major clinical priority. The 2025 EPUAP guideline emphasizes that risk assessment should be considered not only as a screening step but as a comprehensive clinical decision-making process that guides individualized preventive care plans. Although more than 40 instruments have been developed to assess PI risk, tools designed for general patient populations may not adequately reflect the unique risk profile of critically ill ICU patients.

Based on this rationale, a validity and reliability study of the CALCULATE Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Scale, which was developed in the United Kingdom, was conducted in Türkiye.