When a patient dies, are they automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6?

A patient who has died is not automatically assigned the highest AIS (Abbreviated Injury Scale) severity of 6. The AIS is a system used to classify the severity of injuries in trauma patients, with a scale that ranges from 1 (minor) to 6 (maximum, usually indicating death). For patients who have expired, an injury's severity rating would depend on the specific injuries sustained and the circumstances surrounding their death, not solely on the fact that they died.

In some cases, deaths may occur due to injuries classified as lower than a severity of 6, based on the nature and extent of the injuries sustained. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the overall context and the specific injuries to determine the appropriate AIS severity score rather than assigning the highest score simply because of the outcome of death.