CAISS CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS
| MULTIPLE CHOICES |2026\2027!! CSIA
EXAM
Origins of AIS (3) - Answer--1) Standardized system
2) Classify type/severity of injury from MVC
3) Consensus
Injury descriptors are organized _________________________ ? -
Answer--Anatomically
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to _______________? -
Answer--The whole body
AIS reflects severity of single injuries and are unaffected by what three things? -
Answer--1) time
2) sequela
3) outcome
What type of scale does AIS use? - Answer--6 point ordinal scale
Which type of measurement is more variable? Anatomic or Physiologic? -
Answer--Physiologic
Is clinical training necessary for collecting injury data? - Answer--NO
AIS is based on what three (3) factors? - Answer--1) anatomically- based
2) consensus driven
3) global
Severity is NOT contingent upon what two (2) factors? - Answer--1) Outcome
2) time
Numerical ranking of severity: 1 - Answer--minor
Numerical ranking of severity: 2 - Answer--moderate
Numerical ranking of severity: 3 - Answer--serious
,Numerical ranking of severity: 4 - Answer--severe
Numerical ranking of severity: 5 - Answer--critical
Numerical ranking of severity: 6 - Answer--maximum (currently untreatable)
Is mortality a sole determinant of AIS severity? - Answer--NO
Are all AIS data comparable from year to year? - Answer--NO (updates)
Is "DEATH" part of the severity scale? - Answer--NO
Is a patient who dies automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6? -
Answer--NO (patients w/ minor injuries can die)
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - Answer--NO (AIS 4 is
more, NOT twice as severe as AIS 2)
Are all injuries within the same AIS code strictly compatible? - Answer--NO (tibia fx &
alveolar ridge are both AIS - 2, although one may be worse than the other, both are
considered 'moderate')
What AIS code is assigned to a patient with inadequate information regarding an
injury? - Answer--9
How many chapters are in the AIS dictionary? - Answer--9 (not the same as body
regions)
AIS single digit severity codes are based on what type of patient? - Answer--Average
What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - Answer--1) 25-40 yrs old
2) no pre-existing conditions
3) no tx complications
4) received timely/appropriate care
Approximately how many injury descriptors are included in AIS? - Answer--2000
What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - Answer--6 digits
BEFORE the decimal point (left)
What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" -
Answer--single digit after the decimal (right)
, (T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and
accurate coding? - Answer--TRUE
The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - Answer--Body Region
The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - Answer--Type of
anatomic structure (skeletal, solid organ)
The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - Answer--Specific
anatomic structure (femur)
The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - Answer--Level of injury
within the specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--synonyms or definitions
for injury types
Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--inclusionary/exclusionary
info, OIS Grades
Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - Answer--directives to assist
coder in appropriate use of specific description
Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--separate injury
descriptors that are comparable in severity
Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--proper-named
injuries/structures, OIS grades
Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - Answer--NO (single injury
severity only)
The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - Answer--Sum of the squares of
highest AIS in each of 3 most severely injured ISS body regions.
What are the six body regions used in the ISS? - Answer--1) head & neck
2) face
3) chest
4) abdomen & pelvic organs
5) extremities & pelvic girdle
6) external
Asphyxia is assigned to which ISS body region? - Answer--HEAD & neck
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS
| MULTIPLE CHOICES |2026\2027!! CSIA
EXAM
Origins of AIS (3) - Answer--1) Standardized system
2) Classify type/severity of injury from MVC
3) Consensus
Injury descriptors are organized _________________________ ? -
Answer--Anatomically
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to _______________? -
Answer--The whole body
AIS reflects severity of single injuries and are unaffected by what three things? -
Answer--1) time
2) sequela
3) outcome
What type of scale does AIS use? - Answer--6 point ordinal scale
Which type of measurement is more variable? Anatomic or Physiologic? -
Answer--Physiologic
Is clinical training necessary for collecting injury data? - Answer--NO
AIS is based on what three (3) factors? - Answer--1) anatomically- based
2) consensus driven
3) global
Severity is NOT contingent upon what two (2) factors? - Answer--1) Outcome
2) time
Numerical ranking of severity: 1 - Answer--minor
Numerical ranking of severity: 2 - Answer--moderate
Numerical ranking of severity: 3 - Answer--serious
,Numerical ranking of severity: 4 - Answer--severe
Numerical ranking of severity: 5 - Answer--critical
Numerical ranking of severity: 6 - Answer--maximum (currently untreatable)
Is mortality a sole determinant of AIS severity? - Answer--NO
Are all AIS data comparable from year to year? - Answer--NO (updates)
Is "DEATH" part of the severity scale? - Answer--NO
Is a patient who dies automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6? -
Answer--NO (patients w/ minor injuries can die)
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - Answer--NO (AIS 4 is
more, NOT twice as severe as AIS 2)
Are all injuries within the same AIS code strictly compatible? - Answer--NO (tibia fx &
alveolar ridge are both AIS - 2, although one may be worse than the other, both are
considered 'moderate')
What AIS code is assigned to a patient with inadequate information regarding an
injury? - Answer--9
How many chapters are in the AIS dictionary? - Answer--9 (not the same as body
regions)
AIS single digit severity codes are based on what type of patient? - Answer--Average
What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - Answer--1) 25-40 yrs old
2) no pre-existing conditions
3) no tx complications
4) received timely/appropriate care
Approximately how many injury descriptors are included in AIS? - Answer--2000
What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - Answer--6 digits
BEFORE the decimal point (left)
What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" -
Answer--single digit after the decimal (right)
, (T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and
accurate coding? - Answer--TRUE
The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - Answer--Body Region
The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - Answer--Type of
anatomic structure (skeletal, solid organ)
The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - Answer--Specific
anatomic structure (femur)
The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - Answer--Level of injury
within the specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--synonyms or definitions
for injury types
Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--inclusionary/exclusionary
info, OIS Grades
Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - Answer--directives to assist
coder in appropriate use of specific description
Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--separate injury
descriptors that are comparable in severity
Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - Answer--proper-named
injuries/structures, OIS grades
Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - Answer--NO (single injury
severity only)
The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - Answer--Sum of the squares of
highest AIS in each of 3 most severely injured ISS body regions.
What are the six body regions used in the ISS? - Answer--1) head & neck
2) face
3) chest
4) abdomen & pelvic organs
5) extremities & pelvic girdle
6) external
Asphyxia is assigned to which ISS body region? - Answer--HEAD & neck
