International Classification of Disease based Injury Severity Score (ICISS): a comparison of methodologies applied to linked data from New South Wales, Australia.

BACKGROUND: The International Classification of Disease Injury Severity Score (ICISS) provides an efficient method to determine injury severity in hospitalised injury patients. Injury severity metrics are of particular interest for the tracking of road transport injury rates and trends. The aims of this study were to calculate ICISS using linked morbidity and mortality datasets and to compare predictive ability of various methods and metrics. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of Admitted Patient Data Collection records from New South Wales, Australia, linked with mortality data. Using a split sample approach, design data (2008-2014; n=1 035 174 periods of care) was used to derive survival risk ratios and calculate various ICISS scales based on in-hospital death and 3-month death. These scales were applied to testing data (2015-2017; n=575 306). Logistic regression modelling was used to determine model discrimination and calibration. RESULTS: There were 12 347 (1.19%) in-hospital deaths and 29 275 (2.83%) 3-month deaths in the design data. Model discrimination ranged from acceptable to excellent (area under the curve 0.75-0.88). Serious injury (ICISS≤0.941) rates in the testing data varied, with a range of 10%-31% depending on the methodology. The 'worst injury' ICISS was always superior to 'multiplicative injury' ICISS in model discrimination and calibration. CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital death and 3-month death were used to generate ICISS; the former is recommended for settings with a focus on short-term threat to life, such as in trauma care settings. The 3-month death approach is recommended for outcomes beyond immediate clinical care, such as injury compensation schemes.

A scoping review and narrative synthesis of neonatal skin injury severity scales.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical force skin injuries are common for critical care patients, especially neonates. Currently, identification and severity assessments of injuries are dependent on clinical experience and/or utilization of severity tools. Compared with adults, neonates sustain skin injuries in different anatomical locations and have decreased layers of healthy tissue (from 0.9 to 1.2 mm) creating questions around direct application of adult injury severity scales reliant on visual assessment. AIMS: The aim of this scoping review (ScR) was to investigate severity scales used to report hospital acquired skin injuries for neonates. METHODS: This study utilized the 2015 Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews extension. PubMed, CINAHL, COCHRANE Central, Scopus, and the reference lists of included studies were searched for studies published between 2001 and 2023, that included severity scales use within neonatal population. Two authors independently identified studies for full review, data extraction, and quality assessment. RESULTS: A systematic database search returned 1163 records. After full test review of 109 studies, 35 studies were included. A majority of studies included were cohort or action research and conducted in the United States of America. Most studies (57%, n = 20) reported skin injuries acquired throughout the body, 14 (40%) of the studies reported the nasal area alone and one study reported no anatomical location. A total of nine severity scales or combination of scales were utilized within studies (n = 31) and four studies did not report a scale. Various versions of scales from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (n = 16), European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (n = 8) or Neonatal Skin Condition Score (n = 4) were reported, compared with locally developed classifications/scales (n = 4). Scales were predominantly of ordinal grouping (74%, n = 26) or categorical assessment (14%, n = 5). Only one scale from 2004 was validated for neonates. CONCLUSION: Neonatal skin injuries will continue to be reported subjectively until severity scales are consistently applied or other measurements are identified to support assessment. Additionally, without skin injury assessment uniformity, critical examination of effectiveness of skin care treatment practices will have subjective comparison. This review suggests there is a need for consistent skin assessment and severity scales that are valid for the neonatal population and their unique skin considerations.

Evaluation of Erythema Severity in Dermatoscopic Images of Canine Skin: Erythema Index Assessment and Image Sampling Reliability.

The regular monitoring of erythema, one of the most important skin lesions in atopic (allergic) dogs, is essential for successful anti-allergic therapy. The smartphone-based dermatoscopy enables a convenient way to acquire quality images of erythematous skin. However, the image sampling to evaluate erythema severity is still done manually, introducing result variability. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the most popular erythema indices (EIs) and dermatologists' erythema perception, and we measured intra- and inter-rater variability of the currently-used manual image-sampling methods (ISMs). We showed that the EIBRG, based on all three RGB (red, green, and blue) channels, performed the best with an average Spearman coefficient of 0.75 and a typical absolute disagreement of less than 14% with the erythema assessed by clinicians. On the other hand, two image-sampling methods, based on either selecting specific pixels or small skin areas, performed similarly well. They achieved high intra- and inter-rater reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Krippendorff's alpha well above 0.90. These results indicated that smartphone-based dermatoscopy could be a convenient and precise way to evaluate skin erythema severity. However, better outlined, or even automated ISMs, are likely to improve the intra- and inter-rater reliability in severe erythematous cases.

Gender differences in clinical, laboratory and polysomnographic features of restless legs syndrome.

Restless legs syndrome is a common neurological disorder with a clear female predominance. This study aims to evaluate gender differences in clinical, laboratory and polysomnographic features in patients with restless legs syndrome. For this retrospective analysis, 42 women and 42 men from the Innsbruck RLS database matched by age and therapy were included. Demographic data as well as different severity scales (IRLS, RLS-6 and CGI) were evaluated. Laboratory parameters included several indicators of serum iron status. In all patients, polysomnography was performed according to the AASM guidelines, and periodic leg movements during sleep were scored according to the AASM criteria. IRLS, RLS-6 and CGI revealed more severe symptoms in women (IRLS median [range]: 17.5 [0-35] versus 13.5 [0-32], p = 0.028; RLS-6 median [range]: 18 [0-39] versus 12 [1-42], p = 0.014). Women had lower serum ferritin levels than men (median [range] in µg L-1 : 74 [9-346] versus 167 [15-389], p < 0.001). Twenty-two women and eight men (53.7% versus 22.2%, p = 0.003) had ferritin values below 75 µg L-1 . Periodic leg movements during sleep indices were significantly lower in women than in men (median [range] in number per hr: 11.4 [0-62.5] versus 40 [0-154], p = 0.004, and 12.6 [0-58.5] versus 40 [0.5-208], p = 0.002, for night I and night II, respectively). Restless legs syndrome severity as measured by validated scales was worse in women, while periodic leg movements during sleep indices were higher in men. These results suggest a possible gender difference in phenotypical presentation of restless legs syndrome, manifesting with predominantly sensory symptoms in women and predominantly motor symptoms in men.

Validation of an ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM map to AIS 2005 Update 2008.

Although the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) is the most widely used severity scoring system for traumatic injuries, hospitals are required to document and bill based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). An expert panel recently developed a map between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM to AIS 2005 Update 2008. This study aimed to validate the recently developed map using a large trauma registry. The map demonstrated moderate to substantial agreement for maximum AIS (MAIS) scores per body region based on expert chart review versus map-derived values (range: 44%-86%). Injury Severity Scores (ISSs) calculated from expert coders versus map-derived values were also compared and demonstrated moderate agreement (ICD-9-CM: 48%, ICD-10-CM: 54%). Although not a perfect conversion tool, the new ICD-AIS map provides a systematic method to assign injury severity for datasets with only ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes available and can be used for future injury-related research and data analysis.

Prehospital Prediction of Large Vessel Occlusion in Suspected Stroke Patients.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent advances in endovascular thrombectomy have made acute ischemic stroke due to a large vessel occlusion more treatable than ever. Rapid access to treatment remains paramount and multiple large vessel occlusion prediction scales have been created to enhance prehospital identification and triage of these patients. This review summarizes the current state of large vessel occlusion prediction scales, proposes a set of ideal scale features, and discusses the future of these scales and prehospital neurological emergency response systems. RECENT FINDINGS: A meta-analysis of the available data concluded that none of the currently published scales are more accurate than the others. However, other studies provide insight into important qualitative features beyond accuracy. At present, only a few large vessel occlusion prediction scales have been studied in the necessary prehospital suspected stroke patient population. Among these small studies, 26-51% of patients identified by scales had large vessel occlusions and 63-84% qualified for triage to a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Valuable scale features include binary scoring, inclusion of gaze deviation and arm weakness, exclusion of neglect, and prehospital validation in a suspected stroke cohort. Patients with neurological emergencies that mimic large vessel occlusion, such as intracranial hemorrhage, may also benefit from triage to Comprehensive Stroke Centers. Prehospital triage is more complex than ever and guidelines, tools, and systems continue to evolve.

Empirical validation of the New Zealand serious non-fatal injury outcome indicator for 'all injury'.

Our purpose was to empirically validate the official New Zealand (NZ) serious non-fatal 'all injury' indicator. To that end, we aimed to investigate the assumption that cases selected by the indicator have a high probability of admission. Using NZ hospital in-patient records, we identified serious injury diagnoses, captured by the indicator, if their diagnosis-specific survival probability was ≤0.941 based on at least 100 admissions. Corresponding diagnosis-specific admission probabilities from regions in Canada, Denmark and Greece were estimated. Aggregate admission probabilities across those injury diagnoses were calculated and inference made to New Zealand. The admission probabilities were 0.82, 0.89 and 0.90 for the regions of Canada, Denmark and Greece, respectively. This work provides evidence that the threshold set for the official New Zealand serious non-fatal injury indicator for 'all injury' captures injuries with high aggregate admission probability. If so, it is valid for monitoring the incidence of serious injuries.

Classification of acute diverticulitis in the left colon with ultrasonography and computed tomography: Value of current severity classification schemes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The current management of acute diverticulitis of the left colon (ADLC) requires tests with high prognostic value. This paper analyzes the usefulness of ultrasonography (US) in the initial diagnosis of ADLC and the validity of current classifications schemes for ADLC. PATIENTS: This retrospective observational study included patients with ADLC scheduled to undergo US or computed tomography (CT) following a clinical algorithm. According to the imaging findings, ADLC was classified as mild, locally complicated, or complicated. We analyzed the efficacy of US in the initial diagnosis and the reasons why CT was used as the first-line technique. We compared the findings with published classifications schemes for ADLC. RESULTS: A total of 311 patients were diagnosed with acute diverticulitis; 183 had ADLC, classified at imaging as mild in 104, locally complicated in 60, and complicated in 19. The diagnosis was reached by US alone in 98 patients, by CT alone in 77, and by combined US and CT in 8. The main reasons for using CT as the first-line technique were the radiologist's lack of experience in abdominal US and the unavailability of a radiologists on call. Six patients diagnosed by US were reexamined by CT, but the classification changed in only three. None of the published classification schemes included all the imaging findings. CONCLUSIONS: US should be the first-line imaging technique in patients with suspected ADLC. Various laboratory and imaging findings are useful in establishing the prognosis of ADLC. New schemes to classify the severity of ADLC are necessary to ensure optimal clinical decision making.

Should the frequency, severity, or both response scales be used for multi-item dental patient-reported outcome measures?

BACKGROUND: The Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) index asks the respondents to indicate both, the frequency and severity of the impact. However, it is not clear if the two scaling methods are correlated, and if using one scale is sufficient. The purpose of the study was to investigate the correlation between frequency and severity rating scales of the OIDP instrument, and whether only one of the rating scales can be used instead of both. METHODS: A battery of patient-reported outcome questionnaires were administered to a consecutive sample of adult dental patients from HealthPartners dental clinics in Minnesota (N = 2,115). Only those who responded to any of the OIDP items were included in the analysis for this study (N = 873). We assessed correlations between the frequency and severity scales for all OIDP items, and for the summary scores of the two OIDP response scales. We additionally fit a categorical structural equation model (SEM) (or an item factor analysis model) and examined the correlation between two latent variables (Frequency and Severity). RESULTS: The correlation estimates for all OIDP items were greater than 0.50, indicating large correlations between the frequency and severity scores for each OIDP item. The correlation estimate between the two summary scores was 0.85 (95% CI [0.82-0.86]). When we calculated the correlation coefficient using a latent variable model, the value increased to 0.96 (95% CI [0.93-1.00]). CONCLUSION: Our study findings show that OIDP frequency and severity scores are highly correlated, which indicates the use of one scale only. Based on previous evidence, we recommend applying the frequency rating scale only in research and clinical settings.

Risk models for predicting in-hospital mortality from COVID-19 pneumonia in the elderly. / Modelos de riesgo para la predicción de mortalidad hospitalaria en ancianos con neumonía por COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the prognostic value of 3 severity scales: the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), the CURB-65 pneumonia severity score, and the Severity Community-Acquired Pneumonia (SCAP) score. To build a new predictive model for in-hospital mortality in patients over the age of 75 years admitted with pneumonia due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients older than 75 years admitted from the emergency department for COVID-19 pneumonia between March 12 and April 27, 2020. We recorded demographic (age, sex, living in a care facility or not), clinical (symptoms, comorbidities, Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]), and analytical (serum biochemistry, blood gases, blood count, and coagulation factors) variables. A risk model was constructed, and the ability of the 3 scales to predict all-cause in-hospital mortality was compared. RESULTS: We included 186 patients with a median age of 85 years (interquartile range, 80-89 years); 44.1% were men. Mortality was 47.3%. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were as follows for each tool: PSI, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.64-0.82); CURB-65 score, 0.71 (95% CI, 0.62-0.79); and SCAP score, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.63-0.81). Risk factors included in the model were the presence or absence of symptoms (cough, dyspnea), the CCI, and analytical findings (aspartate aminotransferase, potassium, urea, and lactate dehydrogenase. The AUC for the model was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.73-0.88). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the predictive power of the PSI for mortality is moderate and perceptibly higher than the CURB-65 and SCAP scores. We propose a new predictive model for mortality that offers significantly better performance than any of the 3 scales compared. However, our model must undergo external validation.

OBJETIVO: Los objetivos son comparar la utilidad pronóstica de tres escalas de gravedad (Pneumonia Severity Index: PSI; CURB-65 scale; Severity Community Acquired Pneumonia Score: SCAP) y diseñar un nuevo modelo predictivo de mortalidad hospitalaria en pacientes mayores de 75 años ingresados por neumonía por COVID-19. METODO: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes mayores de 75 años ingresados por neumonía por COVID-19 desde el servicio de urgencias entre el 12 de marzo y el 27 de abril de 2020. Se recogieron variables demográficas (edad, sexo, institucionalización), clínicas (síntomas, comorbilidades, índice de Charlson) y analíticas (bioquímica en suero, gasometría, hematimetría, hemostasia). Se derivó un modelo de riesgo y se compararon las escalas de gravedad PSI, CURB-65 y SCAP para predecir la mortalidad intrahospitalaria por cualquier causa. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 186 pacientes, con una mediana de edad de 85 años (RIC 80-89), un 44,1% varones. La mortalidad fue del 47,3%. Las escalas PSI, CURB-65 y SCAP tuvieron un área bajo la curva (ABC) de 0,74 (IC 95% 0,64-0,82), 0,71 (IC 95% 0,62-0,79) y 0,72 (IC 95% 0,63-0,81), respectivamente. El modelo predictivo compuesto por la ausencia o presencia de síntomas (tos y disnea), comorbilidad (índice de Charlson) y datos analíticos (aspartato- aminotransferasa, potasio, urea y lactato-deshidrogenasa) tuvo un ABC de 0,81 (IC 95% 0,73-0,88). CONCLUSIONES: Este estudio muestra que la escala PSI tiene una capacidad predictiva de mortalidad moderada, notablemente mejor que las escalas CURB-65 y SCAP. Se propone un nuevo modelo predictivo de mortalidad que mejora significativamente el rendimiento de estas escalas, siendo necesario verificar su validez externa.

International consensus on clinical severity scale use in evaluating Niemann-Pick disease Type C in paediatric and adult patients: results from a Delphi Study.

BACKGROUND: Several scales have been developed in the past two decades to evaluate Niemann-Pick disease Type C (NPC) severity in clinical practice and trials. However, a lack of clarity concerning which scale to use in each setting is preventing the use of standardised assessments across the world, resulting in incomparable data sets and clinical trial outcome measures. This study aimed to establish agreed approaches for the use of NPC severity scales in clinical practice and research. METHODS: A Delphi method of consensus development was used, comprising three survey rounds. In Round 1, participants were asked nine multiple-choice and open-ended questions to gather opinions on the six severity scales and domains. In Rounds 2 and 3, questions aimed to gain consensus on the opinions revealed in Round 1 using a typical Likert scale. RESULTS: Nineteen experts, active in NPC paediatric and adult research and treatment, participated in this study. Of these, 16/19 completed Rounds 1 and 2 and 19/19 completed Round 3. Consensus (defined as ≥ 70% agreement or neutrality, given the study aim to identify the severity scales that the clinical community would accept for international consistency) was achieved for 66.7% of the multiple-choice questions in Round 2 and 83% of the multiple-choice questions in Round 3. Consensus was almost reached (68%) on the use of the 5-domain NPCCSS scale as the first choice in clinical practice. Consensus was reached (74%) for the 17-domain NPCCSS scale as the first choice in clinical trial settings, but the domains measured in the 5-domain scale should be prioritised as the primary endpoints. Experts called for educational and training materials on how to apply the NPCCSS (17- and 5-domains) for clinicians working in NPC. CONCLUSIONS: In achieving a consensus on the use of the 17-domain NPCCSS scale as the first choice for assessing clinical severity of NPC in clinical trial settings but prioritising the domains in the 5-domain NPCCSS scale for routine clinical practice, this study can help to inform future discussion around the use of the existing NPC clinical severity scales. For routine clinical practice, the study helps provide clarity on which scale is favoured by a significant proportion of a representative body of experts, in this case, the 5-domain NPCCSS scale.

Effects of ethyl alcohol on injuries severity according to injury severity scales in pedestrian fatal injury in traffic crashes.

INTRODUCTION: The dominant cause of injuries in traffic crashes. A significant portion of them affects victims under the influence of ethyl alcohol. The goal of the studies was to assess the correlation between the state of sobriety and the severity of injuries expressed by injury severity scales in fatal pedestrian victims of traffic crashes. Research Material and Method: The data were obtained from the Warsaw Medical University's Department of Forensic Medicine. The analysis covered the data for 2009-2013 and included 200 fatal pedestrian victims hit by passenger cars. The assessment of the effect of risk factors on injury severity expressed in terms of injury severity scales such as Life Threat Indicator (LTI), International Classification based Injury Severity Score (ICISS), Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS), was made using adequately selected methods of statistical analysis. RESULTS: As alcohol concentration increases in women, the values of LTI, ICISS-10 and ICISS-15 decrease, which denotes more severe injuries. In the ISS and NISS, the effect of alcohol concentration on the severity of injuries turned out to be negligible. However, these injuries are significantly heavier in women than in men. According to all the scales used, the older the victims, the milder injuries cause their death. CONCLUSIONS: The studies show that ethyl alcohol concentration may harm injury severity, especially in the case of women. The assessment of the severity of injuries in traffic crash victims is significantly influenced by their age and gender. The more risk factors the scale takes into consideration, the more precise is the assessment.

The psychometric properties of 30-day versions of the DSM-5 dimensional severity scales for social anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the DSM-5 dimensional severity scales for social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD) using a past 30 day timeframe. METHODS: Data were from a sample of 1,052 Australian community dwelling adults (aged 18 years or older) recruited using online advertisements. Respondents completed the DSM-5 severity scales for SAD and PD as well as a range of additional widely used self-administered scales for SAD and PD in the past 30 days prior to the survey. RESULTS: Both scales exhibited high internal consistency (alpha>=0.94) and a strong general factor that justified unidimensional item response analysis (OmegaH=0.96). There was no evidence of significant local dependence amongst item pairs after accounting for the single factor. Similarly, there was no evidence for meaningful differential item functioning of the scales across sex, age, education level, and residential location. There was high convergent validity (0.71 - 0.85) amongst conceptually related scale and moderate to high correlations (0.54 - 0.80) between conceptually unrelated scales. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for the use of past month versions of the DSM-5 severity scales for SAD and PD by researchers and clinicians to inform and supplement diagnostic decisions.

Perioperative complications following bariatric surgery according to the clavien-dindo classification. Score validation, literature review and results in a single-centre series.

BACKGROUND: There is no unified system for reporting surgical complications after bariatric surgery. One increasingly used system for notifying postoperative complications is the Clavien-Dindo classification, which focuses on their therapeutic implications. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to validate and apply the Clavien-Dindo scale to a series of cases of bariatric surgery and systematically review its use worldwide. SETTING: University hospital. METHODS: A cohort of 321 patients with morbid obesity (Mean BMI: 45.4±5.5 kg/m2) underwent surgery by the same team of surgeons, fundamentally using a laparoscopic gastric bypass. Initially, the Clavien-Dindo scale was translated and validated for its acceptability and reproducibility using the Kappa index. The scale was then applied to the whole of the bariatric series. A systematic review was also conducted in the literature regarding the use of the Clavien-Dindo classification after bariatric surgery. Lastly, a comparison was made with our results. RESULTS: The classification was validated without any difficulty. Most of the postoperative complications are grades I (8.4%) and III (7.8%). We found it used in 15 series (including our own), which accounts for 10,347 patients. The overall results are analogous to our series. CONCLUSIONS: The Clavien-Dindo scale has been validated and translated into Spanish. Application is quick and simple and enables comparisons to be made between centers and series. Our results are similar to those reported by other authors.

Prevalence Of Diabetic Retinopathy In A Primary Care Setting Using Digital Retinal Imaging Technology.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in a primary care setting using digital retinal imaging technology and to quantify the degree of diabetic retinopathy using internationally accepted severity scales. Two hundred patients with type 2 diabetes were evaluated clinically followed by fundus photography. The prevalence of retinopathy and maculopathy was 47.4% and 59.2% respectively (both retinopathy and maculopathy 34.7%). The high prevalence of retinal abnormality in this study is a cause for concern as most patients had diabetes for only 5 years or less.

Gravidade dos acidentes de trabalho atendidos em serviços de emergência / Severity of occupational injuries treated in emergency services

OBJETIVO: Estimar o nível de gravidade de acidentes de trabalho e fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Estudo longitudinal realizado em Salvador, BA, conduzido com todos os 406 casos de acidentes de trabalho atendidos em duas unidades de emergência de hospitais públicos, entre junho e agosto de 2005. Os participantes foram identificados durante a admissão no serviço de emergência e entrevistados mensalmente em suas residências, até o retorno ao trabalho ou finalização do tratamento. A gravidade foi definida com a Abbreviated Injury Scale utilizada para calcular escores do Injury Severity Score. Foram estimadas a letalidade e a mortalidade hospitalar, permanência e internação na unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI). Variáveis descritoras foram sexo, idade, ramo de atividade econômica e ocupação. Empregaram-se proporções, razões de proporções e intervalos de confiança para a inferência estatística e média e teste t de Student para variáveis normais contínuas. RESULTADOS: A maior parte dos 406 casos foi de gravidade leve (39,4%) e moderada (38,7%), seguida pelos de nível sério (17,2%), severo (3,2%) e crítico (1,5%). A letalidade global foi 0,7% e 5,0% entre os que ficaram internados (14,8%), enquanto a média de hospitalização foi 3,2 dias (DP=2,8). Três casos (0,7%) necessitaram UTI (média= 8,4 dias, DP=1,2). A maior parte dos casos graves ocorreu entre os homens e os que tinham mais que 37 anos de idade. Acidentes com trabalhadores de transporte (RP=2,20; IC 90%: 1,06;4,58) e comércio (RP=1,85 IC 90%: 1,14;3,00) foram mais graves do que o do grupo referente. A proporção de acidentes graves foi 54% maior entre os de trajeto em comparação com os típicos. No total foram 325 dias de hospitalização e 34 dias de permanência em UTI. CONCLUSÕES: Foi elevada a gravidade de acidentes de trabalho, especialmente os ocorridos com trabalhadores do ramo de transporte e comércio, repercutindo nos serviços de emergência e ocupação de leitos hospitalares e UTI.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the severity of occupational injuries and associated factors. METHODS: Longitudinal study performed in the city of Salvador, Northeastern Brazil, with all 406 occupational injury cases treated in two emergency rooms of public hospitals, between June and August 2005. Participants were identified during admission to the emergency room and interviewed monthly in their homes, until returning to work or ending the treatment. Severity was defined by the Abbreviated Injury Scale, used to calculate scores from the Injury Severity Score. Hospital lethality and mortality, and length of inpatient and intensive care unit (ICU) stay were estimated. Descriptive variables were sex, age, economic field of activity and occupation. Proportions, proportion ratios and confidence intervals were used for statistical inference and mean, and the Student t test for normal continuous variables. RESULTS: The majority of the 406 cases had a mild (39.4%) and moderate severity (38.7%), followed by serious (17.2%), severe (3.2%) and critical severity (1.5%). Overall lethality was 0.7% and 5.0% among those who stayed for inpatient treatment (14.8%), whereas mean length of inpatient stay was 3.2 days (SD=2.8). A total of three cases (0.7%) required ICU (mean=8.4 days, SD=1.2). The majority of serious cases occurred among men and those older than 37 years of age. Injuries among transport (PR=2.20; 90% CI: 1.06;4.58) and retail workers (PR=1.85; 90% CI: 1.14;3.00) were more serious than those in the reference group. Proportion of serious injuries was 54% higher among commuting accidents than among typical ones. In all, there were 325 days of inpatient stay and 34 days of ICU stay. CONCLUSIONS: Severity of occupational injuries was high, especially those occurring among transport and retail workers, thus affecting emergency services and hospital bed and ICU occupancy.