Background: The Injury Severity Score (ISS) and the New ISS (NISS) underscore injury severity after GSW. This study assesses the Urban ISS (UISS), which incorporates all injuries.
Methods: Complete trauma program registry (TPR) data and chart analyses were performed on 585 patients (pts) over 28 months. Factors analyzed included age, gender, ISS, NISS, UISS, time of admission, intent of injury, race, number GSW, weapon, and outcome.
Results: The 585 patients could be categorized within three groups. The first group included 98 pts with low ISS (1-2), no organ injuries, and early discharge; the second group included 47 patients with severe shock who died during operation; the third group of 442 pts were admitted after operation. All injury scores correlated (p < 0.001) with assault, number GSW, death, and length-of-stay (LOS). Death and LOS correlated closely with assault and the resultant number of GSW, best seen with UISS compared to ISS or NISS. Race and admission time did not correlate with death or LOS.
Conclusions: UISS correlates better than ISS and NISS in victims of inner-city firearm injuries.
Keywords: Length-of-stay; Mortality; Penetrating trauma severity score; Urban firearm wounds.
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