When reporting the severity of an injury under RCW 48.140.030(7), the reporting entity must report using the NPDB severity scale. This scale shows the medical outcome for temporary and permanent injuries, and is included below.

(1) Temporary injuries include:

(a) Emotional injury only, such as fright, where no physical damage occurred;

(b) Insignificant injury such as lacerations, contusions, minor scars or rash where no delay in recovery occurs;

(c) Minor injury such as infection, fracture set improperly, or a fall in the hospital, where recovery is complete but delayed; or

(d) Major injury such as burns, surgical material left, drug side effect, brain damage, where recovery is complete but delayed.

(2) Permanent injuries include:

(a) Minor injury such as loss of fingers, loss or damage to organs, where the injury is not disabling;

(b) Significant injury such as deafness, loss of limb, loss of eye, loss of one kidney or lung;

(c) Major injury such as paraplegia, blindness, loss of two limbs, brain damage;

(d) Grave injury such as quadriplegia, severe brain damage, life long care or fatal prognosis; or

(e) Death.

(3) The reporting entity should report the principal injury if several injuries are involved.