The Abbreviated Injury Scale, 1985 revision: a condensed chart for clinical use

Refinements in injury scaling of blunt trauma and expansion to include penetrating injuries have resulted in the publication of the 1985 revision of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). To simplify use of this scale for Injury Severity Scoring in clinical practice, two 8 1/2" x 11" charts, which can be included in the patient record, have been developed from the AIS dictionary. Separate charts apply to blunt and penetrating trauma. Previous experience with a condensed AIS chart (CAIS) using the 1980 revision of the dictionary suggests that such edited revisions can result in accurate injury scaling in more than 95% of patients presenting to a Level I Trauma Center. The availability of such charts assists in calculation of the ISS soon after admission, which may prove to be a valuable teaching tool and useful in resource allocation, audit, and assessment for prospective payment.