The severity of injuries of a group of traffic victims can be recorded numerically by means of different methods. The preference for a certain method depends not only on the theoretical meaning of severity, but also on the availability of data. An example of a simple graduated scale is the percentage of admissions into a hospital. In addition other indicators can be used to estimate the severity of injuries. In this report the question is raised whether the use of the different indicators results in different outcomes. The data presented show that this is true. Results of the study refer to pedestrians, cyclists, moped-riders, motorcyclists and car occupants who have been treated medically (as in-patient or as out-patient) in the academic hospital in groningen during 1970-1984. For each group the severity of injury is estimated by means of six different indicators. It is stressed that a difference should be made between acute danger to life on the one side and the consequences of the injury on the longer term on the other side. In addition it is recommended to take into account in the description of the injury severity the great differences between the injured of different ages.
Abstract