Injury Severity Score (ISS)
Standardizes severity of traumatic injury based on worst injury of 6 body systems
Jennifer Glen
Provided by
EVAL FoundationInstructions
Rate only the most severe injury from each body system.
The ISS was developed primarily as a research tool to standardize the study of trauma patients. It is not intended for bedside decision-making in the context of a single patient. Therefore, the calculation of the ISS should not impact initial management of the patient with traumatic injuries. The priority in all trauma patients is conducting the primary and secondary survey and stabilization of traumatic injuries. However, it may have application in the clinical setting following initial stabilization of traumatic injuries.
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Summary
The initial population focus of the ISS was patients with blunt trauma from motor vehicle accidents only.
Notes
- The ISS gives equal importance to each body region.
- A score of 6 (Unsurvivable) in any body system will automatically assign an ISS of 75, which is the maximum possible score.
- The ISS is calculated only from the three most severe injuries.
Rules
1. Select the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) Score that represents the most severe injury in each body system (below).
| Severity | AIS |
| No injury | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| Moderate | 2 |
| Serious | 3 |
| Severe | 4 |
| Critical | 5 |
| Unsurvivable | 6 |
2. If the 3 most severe injuries in 3 body systems are A, B, and C, then
3. ISS=A² + B² + C²
.All questions & possible results
InstructionsTitle not visible
Head and neck worst injury?
Select one option:
- No injury
- Minor
- Moderate
- Serious
- Severe
- Critical
- Unsurvivable
Face worst injury?
Select one option:
- No injury
- Minor
- Moderate
- Serious
- Severe
- Critical
- Unsurvivable
Chest worst Injury?
Select one option:
- No injury
- Minor
- Moderate
- Serious
- Severe
- Critical
- Unsurvivable
Abdomen worst injury?
Select one option:
- No Injury
- Minor
- Moderate
- Serious
- Severe
- Critical
- Unsurvivable
Extremity (including pelvis) worst injury?
Select one option:
- No injury
- Minor
- Moderate
- Serious
- Severe
- Critical
- Unsurvivable
External worst injury?
Select one option:
- No injury
- Minor
- Moderate
- Serious
- Severe
- Critical
- Unsurivivable
Possible results
Injury Severity Score (ISS)
Out of a possible 75 points
Literature
- The injury severity score: a method for describing patients with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care — S P Baker, B O'Neill, W Haddon Jr, W B Long
- An assessment of the validity of the injury severity score when applied to gunshot wounds — D E Beverland, W H Rutherford
