Different methods of defining injury/illness severity
| Mild | Moderate | Severe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days missed | 0*–7 | 8–28 | >29 |
| Pain on 0–10 VAS | 0–3 | 4–7 | 8–10 |
| Athlete’s perception | + | ++ | +++ |
| Disability in… | Competing | Training | Activities of daily living |
| Hospitalisation | None/emergency room visit | 1–2 days | >2 days |
| Surgery | None | With local anaesthesia | Requiring regional blocks or general anaesthesia |
| Cost | <$1000 | $1000–$5000 | >$5000 |
The definition of severity depends on the perspective of the stakeholder. For some athletes, severity might refer to suffering (eg, pain), or need for surgery. For a coach trying to manage a team, or a clinician having to make return-to-play decision, severity might be assessed by time loss (disability). For team management, it might be cost.
*If the athlete misses the rest of the training or competition session but returns for the next training/competition (same day, next day or later), the injury is recorded as a time-loss injury of 0 days.