ELPO Scale ELPO (Pressure Injury Risk in Operating Room)

Pressure Injury Risk Assessment in Surgical Patients

Comprehensive assessment tool for evaluating pressure injury risk in patients undergoing surgical procedures. Essential for surgical nursing and pressure ulcer prevention strategies.

Quick ELPO Assessment

Get immediate pressure injury risk assessment for surgical patients

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About the ELPO Scale

This calculator assists in assessing pressure injury risk in patients undergoing surgical procedures in the operating room.

  • Year Created: 2014
  • Author: Prof. Dr. Camila Mendonça de Moraes Lopes, School of Nursing at Ribeirão Preto (EERP), University of São Paulo (USP)
  • Clinical Setting: Operating room and post-anesthesia recovery unit
  • Primary Users: Operating room nurses

Evaluation Criteria

The ELPO Scale evaluates seven key criteria to determine pressure injury risk:

  1. Surgical position
  2. Surgery duration
  3. Type of anesthesia
  4. Support type
  5. Skin condition
  6. Comorbidities
  7. Nutritional status

ELPO Scale Calculator

Select the score for each item below:

Clinical Guidelines

Risk Interpretation

  • Score ≥ 20: High risk for pressure injury
  • Score < 20: Low risk for pressure injury

Assessment Timing

Perform assessment pre-operatively and during long surgical procedures to identify at-risk patients and implement appropriate preventive measures.

Scientific References

Primary Reference:

Lopes, C. M. M., et al. (2019). Development and validation of a scale for assessment of pressure injury risk in surgical position. American Journal of Infection Control, 47(6), 672-678.

Additional Evidence:

Galvão, V. G., et al. (2019). Pressure injury resulting from surgical positioning and associated factors. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 32(4), 424-432.