CAISS CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE
2026
Origins of AIS (3) - ANSWERS1) Standardized system
2) Classify type/severity of injury from MVC
3) Consensus
Injury descriptors are organized _________________________ ? -
ANSWERSAnatomically
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to _______________? -
ANSWERSThe whole body
AIS reflects severity of single injuries and are unaffected by what three things? -
ANSWERS1) time
2) sequela
3) outcome
What type of scale does AIS use? - ANSWERS6 point ordinal scale
Which type of measurement is more variable? Anatomic or Physiologic? -
ANSWERSPhysiologic
Is clinical training necessary for collecting injury data? - ANSWERSNO
AIS is based on what three (3) factors? - ANSWERS1) anatomically- based
2) consensus driven
3) global
Severity is NOT contingent upon what two (2) factors? - ANSWERS1) Outcome
2) time
Numerical ranking of severity: 1 - ANSWERSminor
Numerical ranking of severity: 2 - ANSWERSmoderate
Numerical ranking of severity: 3 - ANSWERSserious
Numerical ranking of severity: 4 - ANSWERSsevere
Numerical ranking of severity: 5 - ANSWERScritical
Numerical ranking of severity: 6 - ANSWERSmaximum (currently untreatable)
,Is mortality a sole determinant of AIS severity? - ANSWERSNO
Are all AIS data comparable from year to year? - ANSWERSNO (updates)
Is "DEATH" part of the severity scale? - ANSWERSNO
Is a patient who dies automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6? -
ANSWERSNO (patients w/ minor injuries can die)
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - ANSWERSNO (AIS 4 is
more, NOT twice as severe as AIS 2)
Are all injuries within the same AIS code strictly compatible? - ANSWERSNO (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?
- ANSWERS9
How many chapters are in the AIS dictionary? - ANSWERS9 (not the same as body
regions)
AIS single digit severity codes are based on what type of patient? - ANSWERSAverage
What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - ANSWERS1) 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? - ANSWERS2000
What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - ANSWERS6 digits
BEFORE the decimal point (left)
What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" - ANSWERSsingle
digit after the decimal (right)
(T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and accurate
coding? - ANSWERSTRUE
The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ANSWERSBody Region
The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ANSWERSType of
anatomic structure (skeletal, solid organ)
, The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ANSWERSSpecific
anatomic structure (femur)
The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ANSWERSLevel of injury
within the specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSsynonyms or definitions for
injury types
Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSinclusionary/exclusionary info,
OIS Grades
Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - ANSWERSdirectives to assist
coder in appropriate use of specific description
Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSseparate injury descriptors
that are comparable in severity
Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSproper-named
injuries/structures, OIS grades
Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - ANSWERSNO (single injury severity
only)
The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - ANSWERSSum 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? - ANSWERS1) head & neck
2) face
3) chest
4) abdomen & pelvic organs
5) extremities & pelvic girdle
6) external
Asphyxia is assigned to which ISS body region? - ANSWERSHEAD & neck
Thoracic spine injuries are assigned to which ISS body region? - ANSWERSChest
Drowning is assigned to which ISS body region? - ANSWERSChest
Lumbar spine lesions would be assigned to which ISS region? - ANSWERSAbdomen &
pelvic contents
Are external injuries coded independent of their body region? - ANSWERSYES
2026
Origins of AIS (3) - ANSWERS1) Standardized system
2) Classify type/severity of injury from MVC
3) Consensus
Injury descriptors are organized _________________________ ? -
ANSWERSAnatomically
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to _______________? -
ANSWERSThe whole body
AIS reflects severity of single injuries and are unaffected by what three things? -
ANSWERS1) time
2) sequela
3) outcome
What type of scale does AIS use? - ANSWERS6 point ordinal scale
Which type of measurement is more variable? Anatomic or Physiologic? -
ANSWERSPhysiologic
Is clinical training necessary for collecting injury data? - ANSWERSNO
AIS is based on what three (3) factors? - ANSWERS1) anatomically- based
2) consensus driven
3) global
Severity is NOT contingent upon what two (2) factors? - ANSWERS1) Outcome
2) time
Numerical ranking of severity: 1 - ANSWERSminor
Numerical ranking of severity: 2 - ANSWERSmoderate
Numerical ranking of severity: 3 - ANSWERSserious
Numerical ranking of severity: 4 - ANSWERSsevere
Numerical ranking of severity: 5 - ANSWERScritical
Numerical ranking of severity: 6 - ANSWERSmaximum (currently untreatable)
,Is mortality a sole determinant of AIS severity? - ANSWERSNO
Are all AIS data comparable from year to year? - ANSWERSNO (updates)
Is "DEATH" part of the severity scale? - ANSWERSNO
Is a patient who dies automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6? -
ANSWERSNO (patients w/ minor injuries can die)
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - ANSWERSNO (AIS 4 is
more, NOT twice as severe as AIS 2)
Are all injuries within the same AIS code strictly compatible? - ANSWERSNO (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?
- ANSWERS9
How many chapters are in the AIS dictionary? - ANSWERS9 (not the same as body
regions)
AIS single digit severity codes are based on what type of patient? - ANSWERSAverage
What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - ANSWERS1) 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? - ANSWERS2000
What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - ANSWERS6 digits
BEFORE the decimal point (left)
What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" - ANSWERSsingle
digit after the decimal (right)
(T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and accurate
coding? - ANSWERSTRUE
The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ANSWERSBody Region
The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ANSWERSType of
anatomic structure (skeletal, solid organ)
, The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ANSWERSSpecific
anatomic structure (femur)
The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ANSWERSLevel of injury
within the specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSsynonyms or definitions for
injury types
Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSinclusionary/exclusionary info,
OIS Grades
Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - ANSWERSdirectives to assist
coder in appropriate use of specific description
Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSseparate injury descriptors
that are comparable in severity
Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ANSWERSproper-named
injuries/structures, OIS grades
Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - ANSWERSNO (single injury severity
only)
The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - ANSWERSSum 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? - ANSWERS1) head & neck
2) face
3) chest
4) abdomen & pelvic organs
5) extremities & pelvic girdle
6) external
Asphyxia is assigned to which ISS body region? - ANSWERSHEAD & neck
Thoracic spine injuries are assigned to which ISS body region? - ANSWERSChest
Drowning is assigned to which ISS body region? - ANSWERSChest
Lumbar spine lesions would be assigned to which ISS region? - ANSWERSAbdomen &
pelvic contents
Are external injuries coded independent of their body region? - ANSWERSYES
