Weisman and Worden developed a risk-rescue rating for evaluating a suicide attempt. It combines the severity of the attempt with the likelihood of being rescued. This can be used in conjunction with other factors to determine a patient's future prognosis.
Parameters – combined based up severity of findings:
(1) risk factors
(2) rescue factors
Risk factors:
(1) agent used
(2) impaired consciousness
(3) lesions and/or toxicity
(4) reversibility
(5) treatment required
Rescue factors:
(1) location
(2) person initiating rescue
(3) probability of discovery by rescuer
(4) accessibility to rescue
(5) delay until discovery
Each item has 3 responses which are scored from 1 to 3 points. For risk factors a higher score indicates greater risk. For rescue a higher score indicates a greater chance of being rescued.
total risk points =
= SUM(points for all 5 risk factors)
total rescue points =
= SUM(points for all 5 rescue factors)
Interpretation:
• minimum total points: 5
• maximum total points: 15
• The higher the total risk points, the greater the risk to the patient (high points bad).
• The higher the total rescue points, the more likely the patient is to be rescued (low points bad).
|
Risk Points |
Risk Level |
Risk Score |
|
5 to 6 |
low |
1 |
|
7 to 8 |
low – moderate |
2 |
|
9 to 10 |
moderate |
3 |
|
11 to 12 |
moderate - high |
4 |
|
13 to 15 |
high |
5 |
|
Rescue Points |
Rescuability Level |
Rescue Score |
|
5 to 7 |
least |
1 |
|
8 to 9 |
low – moderate |
2 |
|
10 to 11 |
moderate |
3 |
|
12 to 13 |
moderate – high |
4 |
|
14 to 15 |
high |
5 |
risk-rescue score =
= (risk value) / ((risk value) + (rescue value)) * 100
The risk-rescue score ranges between 17 and 83 points. The higher the score the more serious the attempt.
Specialty: Psychiatry, Clinical Laboratory
ICD-10: ,
