Waterlow Monitoring Scoring
This guide will cover how the different options within Waterlow Monitoring affect the overall risk score.
1
When recording a Waterlow for a service user, the Final Score is determined based off the options chosen in the form.
The Final Score will update as you progress through the form.
2
The first section is related to the Build / Weight for Height.
This option will be pre-determined by the service users recorded weight and height, but, if you were to change this here, the overall score would increase /decrease by a factor of 1 between each of the options.
3
The Continence section is next:
- Complete, +0
- Urine Incontinent, +1
- Fecal Incontinent, +2
- Doubly Incontinent, +3
4
The Skin Type / Visual Risk follows:
- Healthy, +0
- Tissue Paper, +1
- Dry, +1
- Oedematous, +1
- Clammy / Pyrexia, +1
- Grade 1, +2
- Grade 2-4, +3
5
The next section scores for Mobility:
- Fully, +0
- Restless, +1
- Apathetic, +2
- Restricted, +3
- Bedbound, +4
- Chairbound, +5
6
The next section of scores are optional, special risks which may be appropriate to some service users. The first is Tissue Malnutrition:
- Terminal Cachexia, +8
- Multiple Organ Failure, +8
- Single Organ Failure, +5
- Vascular Disease, +5
- Anaemia, +2
- Smoking, +1
7
Neurological Deficit is next:
- Diabetes, MS, CVA, +5
- Motor / Sensory, +5
- Paraplegia, +5
8
The next set of scores relate to Major Surgery or Trauma:
- Orthopaedic/Spinal, +5
- On Table >2hr, +5
- On Table >6hr, +8
9
Finally, the Medication section scores accordingly:
- Cytotoxics, +4
- Long Term / High Dose Steroids, +4
- Anti-Inflammatory, +4