CAISS - THORAX EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
What exactly does AIS consider to be part of the chest? - ANSWER Skin
(excluding shoulder girdle and sternoclavicular area), trachea and oesophagus
behind the sternal notch, bronchus, diaphragm, heart, lungs, rib cage, sternum,
thoracic vasculature (including the thoracic aorta and vena cava), and thoracic
spine
What does the ISS classify as part of the Chest? - Answer: AIS Thorax Chapter,
Thoracic Spine, Drowning.
How is an "open" chest wound defined? - ANSWER defined as a sucking chest
wound.
For a pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemopneumothorax, which area of the chest
is partially or filled with air, blood, or a combination of the two? - ANSWER
Intrapleural space.
What does the presence of air in the intrapleural space suggest? - ANSWER Tears
in the airway or chest wall, pneumothorax
What does the presence of blood in the intrapleural area suggest? - ANSWER Torn
blood vessels, hemothorax.
How would you code a patient with flail and non-flail ribs on their right side? -
ANSWER Unilateral flail chest fractures and rib fractures without flail are both
categorized as flail.
How would you code rib fractures if the patient had a flail on the right but none on
the left? - ANSWER Code as two separate injuries.
, Define the flail chest. - ANSWER Three or more adjacent ribs, each cracked in two
or more locations.
Is a costal cartilage fracture a rib fracture? - The answer is yes.
What is required to code a lung contusion? - ANSWER Trauma history validated
through imaging or autopsy.
Can you code for both a lung contusion and a lung laceration? - ANSWER Yes.
Each is considered a distinct injury in the chest.
How would you code if chest trauma is only diagnosed based on its sequelas and
there is no particular information? - ANSWER Thoracic injury. NFS
Which sequels in the chest can be coded? - Answer: Air Embolus and Tamponade.
When are the branches of vessels coded? - ANSWER When the main vessel is
named.
How should a "incomplete transaction" involving a vessel be coded? - ANSWER
Incomplete circumferential involvement.
What are the named arteries in the thoracic region? - ANSWER Thoracic aorta,
brachiocephalic, pulmonary, coronary, and subclavian
What is the definition of "Other Named Arteries?" - Answer: Intercostal, internal
mammary, esophageal, bronchial.
VERIFIED ANSWERS
What exactly does AIS consider to be part of the chest? - ANSWER Skin
(excluding shoulder girdle and sternoclavicular area), trachea and oesophagus
behind the sternal notch, bronchus, diaphragm, heart, lungs, rib cage, sternum,
thoracic vasculature (including the thoracic aorta and vena cava), and thoracic
spine
What does the ISS classify as part of the Chest? - Answer: AIS Thorax Chapter,
Thoracic Spine, Drowning.
How is an "open" chest wound defined? - ANSWER defined as a sucking chest
wound.
For a pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemopneumothorax, which area of the chest
is partially or filled with air, blood, or a combination of the two? - ANSWER
Intrapleural space.
What does the presence of air in the intrapleural space suggest? - ANSWER Tears
in the airway or chest wall, pneumothorax
What does the presence of blood in the intrapleural area suggest? - ANSWER Torn
blood vessels, hemothorax.
How would you code a patient with flail and non-flail ribs on their right side? -
ANSWER Unilateral flail chest fractures and rib fractures without flail are both
categorized as flail.
How would you code rib fractures if the patient had a flail on the right but none on
the left? - ANSWER Code as two separate injuries.
, Define the flail chest. - ANSWER Three or more adjacent ribs, each cracked in two
or more locations.
Is a costal cartilage fracture a rib fracture? - The answer is yes.
What is required to code a lung contusion? - ANSWER Trauma history validated
through imaging or autopsy.
Can you code for both a lung contusion and a lung laceration? - ANSWER Yes.
Each is considered a distinct injury in the chest.
How would you code if chest trauma is only diagnosed based on its sequelas and
there is no particular information? - ANSWER Thoracic injury. NFS
Which sequels in the chest can be coded? - Answer: Air Embolus and Tamponade.
When are the branches of vessels coded? - ANSWER When the main vessel is
named.
How should a "incomplete transaction" involving a vessel be coded? - ANSWER
Incomplete circumferential involvement.
What are the named arteries in the thoracic region? - ANSWER Thoracic aorta,
brachiocephalic, pulmonary, coronary, and subclavian
What is the definition of "Other Named Arteries?" - Answer: Intercostal, internal
mammary, esophageal, bronchial.
