Genital Injury Severity Scale (GISS)

Description

Kelly et al developed a scale for objectively describing injuries after sexual intercourse. The authors are from Alameda County Medical Center and Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, California.

Patient selection: female after sexual intercourse

Examination: genital injury

Parameters:

(1) swelling

(2) color change/discoloration (erythema to purple)

(3) tissue break (tear to abrasion)

(4) hymen and introitus

(5) toluidine blue dye uptake

Parameter	Finding	Points
swelling	none	0
	mild	1
	significant	2
color change	none	0
	pink to slight reddening	1
	significant redness	2
	purple	3
tissue break	none	0
	superficial	1
	mild (epidermis)	2
	moderate (into dermis)	3
	severe (into subcutaneous tissue or deeper)	4
hymen and introitus	normal	0
	incomplete tear	2
	complete transection	3
	complete transection AND disruption into introitus	4
toluidine blue uptake	none	0
	flat or punctate uptake	1
	specific uptake	2

total GISS =

= SUM(points for all 5 parameters)

Interpretation:

• There are 3 results for the GISS - GISS score, class and injury type.

• minimum GISS: 0

• maximum GISS: 15

• If the maximum point assigned is 0 or 1, then termed Class A. Else Class B.

• The various pattern of injury is divided into 5 types of injury.

Injury Type	Features
1	all findings negative or normal (GISS 0)
2	all findings minor (at least one finding scored 1 point, none higher); MAX(points) = 1
3	mild to moderate injury; MAX(points) = 2
4	moderate tissue break and/or complete transection of hymen
5	severe tissue break and/or injury to hymen and introitus; MAX(points) = 4

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Description

Specialty

ICD-10