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 Release 21.0, Jan 2008
 
Chapter : ch29. Trauma & Emergency Medicine Section : Triage of the Trauma Patient
  SIMBOL Rating for Air Medical Evacuation

  Excel Sheet Reference
Copyright (c) 2006-2007, Institute for Algorithmic Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. All rights reserved.

Overview :

The SIMBOL rating system was designed for assessing trauma patients prior to air evacuation. It consists of a status and predictor score. The status score indicates the present clinical condition for the patient, while the predictor score estimates the potential for recovery.

 

Status Score

 

Examination for Status Score:

(1) pupillary size and reaction to light

(2) pulse

(3) respiratory rate

(4) palpable systolic blood pressure, or skin color

(5) level of consciousness

 

Sign

Finding

Points

pupils

small and responsive to light

2

 

unequal to sluggish

1

 

dilated and fixed

0

pulse

60 - 100 beats/minute

2

 

< 60 or > 100

1

 

absent

0

respiration

10 - 20 breaths/minute

2

 

< 10 or > 20

1

 

absent

0

blood pressure, palpable systolic

more than 100

2

 

60 -100

1

 

< 60

0

skin

dry and normal color

2

 

ashen, blue lips, moist

1

 

waxy, colorless, or mottled

0

level of consciousness

awake and coherent

2

 

difficult to awake, sleepy

1

 

totally unresponsive

0

 

status score =

= (points for pupils) + (points for pulse)+ (points for respiration)+ [OR (points for blood pressure), (points for skin)] + (points for level of consciousness)

 

Interpretation:

• maximum score: 10, which indicates a good clinical condition

• minimum score: 0, which indicates a moribund condition

 

Predictor Score

 

Evaluation for Predictor Score

(1) status score (above)

(2) body weight

(3) age

(4) nature of traumatic injury

 

Predictor

Finding

Points

body weight

not morbidly obese

0

 

morbidly obese

1

age in years

< 2 years of age

1

 

2 – 70 years of age

0

 

> 70 years of age

1

burn injury

none

0

 

<= 50%

0

 

> 50%

1

chest or abdominal wounds

no open chest or abdominal wounds

0

 

open chest or abdominal wound

1

consciousness

unconscious

1

 

conscious and able to move fingers and toes

0

 

conscious but unable to move fingers and toes

1

 

total number of predictors =

= SUM(points for all of the parameters present)

 

predictor value =

= (status score) - (sum of predictors)

 

Interpretation:

• The higher the predictor value, the more favorable the prognosis.

• A low predictor number indicates a rate of change consistent with a poorer prognosis.

 

  References:

Committee on Medical Aspects of Automotive Safety. Rating the severity of tissue damage: I. The abbreviated scale. JAMA. 1971; 215: 277-280.

Williams RE, Schamadan JL. The "Simbol" rating and evaluation system. Arizona Med. 1969; 26: 886-887.

 

 

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