Final answer:
Injury severity is ranked based on its impact on an individual's health and the likelihood of causing disability or death. Concerns include head and brain injuries, which are major causes of death and disability, and spinal cord injuries, which can lead to paralysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to the impact it has on an individual's health, the potential for long-term disability, or the likelihood of death. For instance, disorders of the skeletal system, particularly head and traumatic brain injuries, are significant concerns as they are major causes of immediate death and disability. They can lead to additional complications such as bleeding and infections, with a high percentage of injury-related deaths being attributed to head injuries. Similarly, injuries to the central nervous system (CNS) like those to the brain or spinal cord can cause anything from full recovery with a mild injury to permanent disability or death with severe injuries. The CNS is protected by barriers that make it less susceptible to injury, but any damage is likely to have serious consequences. Examples of severe consequences from spinal cord injuries include paralysis, resulting in a loss of the ability to feel or move parts of the body.