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Table 1 Notable consensus-derived principles established by the panel in developing the complementary AIS98 to AIS08 map.

From: Development and validation of a complementary map to enhance the existing 1998 to 2008 Abbreviated Injury Scale map

Relevant injury type

Panel consensus

AIS98 codes with relevant maps

Concussive head injury (CHI) and diffuse axonal injury (DAI)

Changes in AIS classification of CHI mean that some information which was usable for coding purposes in AIS98 cannot be used in AIS08; specifically, this includes:

• Glasgow Coma Score;

• the presence of amnesia; or

• the presence of a neurological deficit

160204.3

160404.2

160410.2

160416.3

160604.3

160610.2

160616.4

160804.3

160810.3

160820.4

160208.4

160406.2

160412.3

160499.1

160606.2

160612.3

160699.2

160806.3

160812.4

160822.5

160212.5

160408.3

160414.2

160602.2

160608.3

160614.3

160802.2

160808.4

160816.5

160899.2

 

As the criteria for assigning DAI codes have changed in AIS08, the localisation in AIS98 of a DAI to a particular region (specifically, the brainstem or cerebellum) is more important in mapping to AIS08 than the presence of DAI itself.

140206.5

140406.5

 
 

DAI criteria in AIS08 require more than merely clinical observation. Therefore, codes described as DAI require the AIS98 descriptor to contain more information than what could simply have been observed clinically.

160210.4

160816.5

160212.5

160214.5

Iris injury

AAAM ruling that iris injury is coded to cornea (NFS); anatomically, though, the iris is part of the uvea.

240800.1

  

Thoracic injury occurring in conjunction with haemothorax, pneumothorax, haemopneumothorax, massive air leak or with blood loss >20% by volume

Haemothorax, pneumothorax and combined haemopneumothorax ("haemo-/pneumothorax" in AIS98) have been separated into distinct injuries of differing severity levels in AIS08; consequently, unless more specific information can be obtained from a free text description this component of the combined injury cannot be mapped.

416008.3

450214.3

450242.5

441802.3

450222.3

450252.4

450211.3

450232.4

 

"Massive air leak" in a thoracic injury cannot be ruled to have definitely originated from a tension pneumothorax; consequently, a tension pneumothorax code cannot be assigned.

441424.5

441440.5

441460.5

 

"Blood loss >20%" and "massive air leak" not occurring in conjunction with other injuries could be used to upgrade the severity of a lung injury to major.

441420.4

441440.5

543402.4

441424.5

441456.5

441436.4

441460.5

Injury involving placental abruption or differing stages of pregnancy in a trauma patient

In AIS98, placental abruption was listed under both "Placenta" (presumably as an isolated injury) and "Uterus" (in conjunction with or as a descriptor of uterus laceration); in the absence of "Placenta" as a separate category in AIS08 necessitates (conservative) classification as a laceration-type injury of the uterus (with an upgrade for >20% blood loss, as above).

543400.3

543402.4

 
 

Based on a box note on p.98 of the AIS08 dictionary - "term of pregnancy, per se, is not a factor in determining AIS severity code"; consequently, this information should be ignored.

545226.3

545242.4

545234.3

545246.5

545236.4

Bone injury without fracture (contusion or non-specific)

Injuries such as microfractures and bone contusions are biomechanically different from fractures; consequently, in the absence of codes for non-fracture injuries to bones in AIS08 such injuries must be defaulted to a non-specific injury to that body region.

250699.1

851602.1

853402.1

752000.2

851604.1

853499.1

752400.1

851699.1

853699.1

Involvement of hands, face or genitalia in a burn injury

Changes in AIS classification of burns mean that such localising information which was usable for coding purposes in AIS98 cannot be used in AIS08; consequently, this information should be ignored.

912016.3

912022.4

912028.5