CAISS FINAL EXAM BANK | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 200 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES

CAISS FINAL EXAM BANK | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 200 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES 1. What is the primary purpose of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS)? A. To determine hospital reimbursement rates B. To classify and describe the severity of injuries C. To predict patient mortality only D. To replace all other injury coding systems Correct Answer: B Rationale: The AIS is an anatomical-based coding system designed to classify and describe injury severity. It provides a standardized method for ranking injuries by severity, which is essential for trauma research, outcome prediction, and quality improvement. ________________________________________ 2. Which of the following is NOT a component of the AIS dictionary structure? A. Code number B. Injury description C. Hospital length of stay D. Severity score Correct Answer: C Rationale: The AIS dictionary structure includes code numbers, injury descriptions, and severity scores (1-6). Hospital length of stay is not part of the AIS dictionary but may be used in other trauma scoring systems. ________________________________________ 3. What is the severity scale range used in AIS coding? A. 0 to 5 B. 1 to 6 C. 1 to 10 D. 0 to 10 Correct Answer: B Rationale: AIS uses a 6-point severity scale where 1 = minor, 2 = moderate, 3 = serious, 4 = severe, 5 = critical, and 6 = unsurvivable. This scale is consistent across all body regions. ________________________________________ 4. An AIS code with a severity level of 6 indicates what? A. Minor injury B. Moderate injury C. Severe injury with permanent disability D. Unsurvivable injury Correct Answer: D Rationale: A severity level of 6 in the AIS scale represents an unsurvivable injury. This designation is used for injuries that are considered fatal in virtually all cases, such as complete transection of the brainstem or massive aortic disruption. ________________________________________ 5. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) is calculated from what? A. The total number of injuries B. The sum of all AIS scores C. The sum of squares of the highest AIS score in each of three body regions D. The average of all AIS scores Correct Answer: C Rationale: The ISS is calculated by taking the highest AIS score in each of the three most severely injured body regions (Head/Neck, Face, Chest, Abdomen, Extremities/Pelvis, External), squaring these scores, and summing them. The maximum ISS is 75. ________________________________________ 6. Which body regions are used in the ISS calculation? A. Head, Chest, Abdomen only B. Head/Neck, Face, Chest, Abdomen, Extremities/Pelvis, External C. Head, Neck, Chest, Abdomen, Extremities D. Brain, Thorax, Abdomen, Skeleton Correct Answer: B Rationale: The ISS uses six body regions: Head/Neck, Face, Chest, Abdomen/Pelvic Contents, Extremities/Pelvic Girdle, and External. Each region's highest AIS score is used in the calculation, but only the three highest regional scores are included. ________________________________________ 7. What is the maximum possible ISS score? A. 100 B. 75 C. 50 D. 90 Correct Answer: B Rationale: The maximum ISS is 75. This occurs when a patient has three body regions with an AIS of 5 each (25 + 25 + 25 = 75), or when any injury has an AIS of 6, which automatically results in an ISS of 75. ________________________________________ 8. In AIS coding, what does "NFS" stand for? A. Not Further Specified B. Near Fatal Severity C. Non-Fatal Syndrome D. Normal Functional Status Correct Answer: A Rationale: NFS stands for "Not Further Specified" and is used when there is insufficient information to assign a more specific AIS code. This is common in cases where diagnostic testing was not completed or autopsy was not performed. ________________________________________ 9. An AIS code with a severity level of 1 represents what type of injury? A. Minor injury B. Moderate injury C. Serious injury D. Severe injury Correct Answer: A Rationale: AIS severity level 1 indicates a minor injury. Examples include superficial abrasions, contusions, or minor sprains that typically do not require significant medical intervention and have minimal long-term consequences. ________________________________________ 10. What is the primary difference between AIS 4 and AIS 5 severity levels? A. AIS 4 is survivable with treatment, AIS 5 may be life-threatening despite treatment B. AIS 4 requires ICU admission, AIS 5 requires surgery C. AIS 4 is always fatal, AIS 5 is always non-fatal D. There is no significant difference between AIS 4 and AIS 5 Correct Answer: A Rationale: AIS 4 (severe) injuries are survivable with appropriate treatment, while AIS 5 (critical) injuries are often life-threatening even with optimal treatment. AIS 5 injuries have a significant risk of mortality and typically require intensive care. ________________________________________ 11. Which of the following is an example of an AIS 6 injury? A. Moderate liver laceration B. Complete transection of the brainstem C. Simple rib fracture D. Femur fracture Correct Answer: B Rationale: Complete transection of the brainstem is an unsurvivable injury (AIS 6). Liver lacerations typically range from AIS 2-4, simple rib fractures are AIS 1-2, and femur fractures are AIS 3. These are all survivable with appropriate care. ________________________________________