CAISS TEST EVALUATION QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - ✔✔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? - ✔✔2000
✔✔What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - ✔✔6 digits BEFORE
the decimal point (left)
✔✔What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" - ✔✔single digit
after the decimal (right)
✔✔(T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and
accurate coding? - ✔✔TRUE
✔✔The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ✔✔Body Region
✔✔The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ✔✔Type of anatomic
structure (skeletal, solid organ)
✔✔The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ✔✔Specific
anatomic structure (femur)
✔✔The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ✔✔Level of injury
within the specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
✔✔Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔synonyms or definitions for
injury types
,✔✔Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔inclusionary/exclusionary info,
OIS Grades
✔✔Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - ✔✔directives to assist coder
in appropriate use of specific description
✔✔Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔separate injury descriptors that
are comparable in severity
✔✔Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔proper-named injuries/structures,
OIS grades
✔✔Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - ✔✔NO (single injury severity
only)
✔✔The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - ✔✔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? - ✔✔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? - ✔✔HEAD & neck
✔✔Thoracic spine injuries are assigned to which ISS body region? - ✔✔Chest
✔✔Drowning is assigned to which ISS body region? - ✔✔Chest
✔✔Lumbar spine lesions would be assigned to which ISS region? - ✔✔Abdomen &
pelvic contents
✔✔Are external injuries coded independent of their body region? - ✔✔YES
✔✔Hypothermia, electrical injuries, and whole body injuries are coded to which ISS
region? - ✔✔External
✔✔The ISS score ranged from _____ to _____ ? - ✔✔1 to 75
✔✔What are the two ways an ISS of 75 can be achieved? - ✔✔1) AIS of 5 in each of
three different body regions
2) AIS of 6 in a single body region
, ✔✔Do patients with an AIS 9 achieve an accurate ISS score? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Can less than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ✔✔YES
✔✔Can more than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Do all ISS scores have the same mortality rates? - ✔✔NO (depends on body
regions affected)
✔✔Assigning injuries to too few body regions results in what? - ✔✔underestimation of
ISS
✔✔Assigning injuries to too many body regions results in what? - ✔✔overestimation of
ISS
✔✔Are complications or sequela included in the definition of an injury? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Define injury? - ✔✔Anatomic lesion resulting from transfer of injury.
✔✔List seven (7) examples of sequela that are coded in AIS as injuries? - ✔✔1)
HTX/PTX
2) retroperitoneal hemorrhage
3) cerebral edema/swelling
4) ischemic brain damage r/t head trauma
5) blood loss
6) asphyxia
7) compartment syndrome
✔✔Are preliminary (suspected, possible, rule out) dx codeable? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Are all clinical dx alone codeable? - ✔✔NO (some require radiologic/autopsy
findings)
✔✔Cranial nerve contusion is coded when there is what documented? -
✔✔weakness/paresis or subtotal loss of function
✔✔Cranial nerve laceration is coded when what is documented? - ✔✔paralysis or total
loss of function
✔✔What five (5) physical signs/manifestations are codeable as basilar skull fx? - ✔✔1)
raccoon's eyes (periorbital ecchymosis)
2) Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis)
3) CSF rhinorrhea
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - ✔✔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? - ✔✔2000
✔✔What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - ✔✔6 digits BEFORE
the decimal point (left)
✔✔What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" - ✔✔single digit
after the decimal (right)
✔✔(T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and
accurate coding? - ✔✔TRUE
✔✔The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ✔✔Body Region
✔✔The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ✔✔Type of anatomic
structure (skeletal, solid organ)
✔✔The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ✔✔Specific
anatomic structure (femur)
✔✔The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ✔✔Level of injury
within the specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
✔✔Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔synonyms or definitions for
injury types
,✔✔Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔inclusionary/exclusionary info,
OIS Grades
✔✔Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - ✔✔directives to assist coder
in appropriate use of specific description
✔✔Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔separate injury descriptors that
are comparable in severity
✔✔Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ✔✔proper-named injuries/structures,
OIS grades
✔✔Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - ✔✔NO (single injury severity
only)
✔✔The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - ✔✔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? - ✔✔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? - ✔✔HEAD & neck
✔✔Thoracic spine injuries are assigned to which ISS body region? - ✔✔Chest
✔✔Drowning is assigned to which ISS body region? - ✔✔Chest
✔✔Lumbar spine lesions would be assigned to which ISS region? - ✔✔Abdomen &
pelvic contents
✔✔Are external injuries coded independent of their body region? - ✔✔YES
✔✔Hypothermia, electrical injuries, and whole body injuries are coded to which ISS
region? - ✔✔External
✔✔The ISS score ranged from _____ to _____ ? - ✔✔1 to 75
✔✔What are the two ways an ISS of 75 can be achieved? - ✔✔1) AIS of 5 in each of
three different body regions
2) AIS of 6 in a single body region
, ✔✔Do patients with an AIS 9 achieve an accurate ISS score? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Can less than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ✔✔YES
✔✔Can more than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Do all ISS scores have the same mortality rates? - ✔✔NO (depends on body
regions affected)
✔✔Assigning injuries to too few body regions results in what? - ✔✔underestimation of
ISS
✔✔Assigning injuries to too many body regions results in what? - ✔✔overestimation of
ISS
✔✔Are complications or sequela included in the definition of an injury? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Define injury? - ✔✔Anatomic lesion resulting from transfer of injury.
✔✔List seven (7) examples of sequela that are coded in AIS as injuries? - ✔✔1)
HTX/PTX
2) retroperitoneal hemorrhage
3) cerebral edema/swelling
4) ischemic brain damage r/t head trauma
5) blood loss
6) asphyxia
7) compartment syndrome
✔✔Are preliminary (suspected, possible, rule out) dx codeable? - ✔✔NO
✔✔Are all clinical dx alone codeable? - ✔✔NO (some require radiologic/autopsy
findings)
✔✔Cranial nerve contusion is coded when there is what documented? -
✔✔weakness/paresis or subtotal loss of function
✔✔Cranial nerve laceration is coded when what is documented? - ✔✔paralysis or total
loss of function
✔✔What five (5) physical signs/manifestations are codeable as basilar skull fx? - ✔✔1)
raccoon's eyes (periorbital ecchymosis)
2) Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis)
3) CSF rhinorrhea
