Journal List > J Korean Orthop Assoc > v.24(3) > 1114221

Cho, Song, Park, and Lee: A Study on the Method of Description for Mass Casualties Based on Abbreviated Injury Scale and Injury Severity Score

Abstract

With the industrial development, vehicle, wars, and natural disasters, there are increasing chsnces of mass casuaities, it is very important to classify the injured patients by their severity, to give them immediate emergency care and to transfer them to the other medical facilities effectively. And it is more essential in the army. But in practice, there is no objective and comprehensive scale for injury severity yet. So we devised a method of comprehensive description for the injuredpatients. It is based on Abbreviated Injury Scale and Injury Severity Score and is composed of five parts of the body (General, Head & Neck, Chest, Abdomen, Extremities) and five degrees of severity (Grade I, Il, III, IV, V). For example, a description of a patient with multiple injuries such as generalized abrasion and cotusion, semicomatose mentality with skull fracture, hemoperitoneum, and fracture of right femoral shaft is very diffcult to understand quickly. But, with our method of description, the above is described as follows ; G(I)+(IV)+A (IV)+E(III), ISS =4+4+3 =41. And the high score is described as ISS makes it clear that the patient is very dangerous, even to death, so intensive care is immediately needed. Using this method, we reviewed 1,256 cases of passenger acidents of vehicles treated at our hospital during the last 2 years. The results were as follows ;1. The average ISS of 56 cases of dead is 33. 2. There are only 2 cases of death below 16 of ISS, and 84% mortality above 40 of ISS. 3. The average ISS of passengers in vehicles such as motocycles is 12, taxies 11, bongo 9, and buses 8. 4. We recommend our method of description for mass casualties, especially in the army. Because it is very useful to the injured patients by their severity, to give them immediate emergency care, to transfer them to the other medical facilities and to comprehend the whole condition of all patients.

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