[Evaluation of the Glamorgan Scale in a paediatric intensive care unit: agreement and reliability]

The development of the Glamorgan Paediatric Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale was based on empirical data. This instrument was translated into German for application in a hospital in Berlin. Psychometric properties of scale scores of the German version in a paediatric intensive care setting are unknown. In the current study, 24 nurses rated the pressure ulcer risk of 20 children based on the Glamorgan Scale and on a visual analogue scale (VAS) independently from each other. Interrater reliability was assessed using kappa and intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients. The kappa values for item scores ranged from 0.21 to 0.69. Interrater reliability of the Devices item score was zero. The ICC of the Glamorgan scale sum score was 0.43 (95%-CI: 0.16 - 0.69) and 0.34 (95%-CI: 0.01 - 0.67) for the VAS score. The correlation between Glamorgan Scale sum scores and VAS scores was 0.78. Results indicate high relative errors in sum and item scores in this paediatric intensive care setting. Glamorgan scale sum and item score seem to be of minor value in supporting individual clinical decision making. It is highly probable that this was caused by the homogeneity of the investigated sample of children.