The IIS is designed to reflect the overall impairment of bodily function at one year after single injuries. Like the AIS the IIS is an ordinal scale. It ranges from 0 to 6 with scores assigned to injury descriptions on the basis of expert judgement regarding the probable effects of the injury in a previously healthy young adult aged 25-30. The IIS, if indeed shown to be reliable and valid, will provide the field of automotive medicine with an important tool for quantifying the consequences of nonfatal injury. Although motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death among children and young adults, many of the nonfatal injuries result in long term impairments associated with significant personal and societal and societal costs. The IIS has the potential for monitoring the incidence and severity of nonfatal injuries; its further development and refining should be given highest priority. (See also C 3549 - C 3552 (IRRD 873518-873521).
Samenvatting