CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
Origins of AIS (3) - ans1) Standardized system
2) Classify type/severity of injury from MVC
3) Consensus
Injury descriptors are organized _________________________ ? - ansAnatomically
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to _______________? - ansThe whole
body
AIS reflects severity of single injuries and are unaffected by what three things? - ans1) time
2) sequela
3) outcome
What type of scale does AIS use? - ans6 point ordinal scale
Which type of measurement is more variable? Anatomic or Physiologic? - ansPhysiologic
Is clinical training necessary for collecting injury data? - ansNO
AIS is based on what three (3) factors? - ans1) anatomically- based
2) consensus driven
3) global
Severity is NOT contingent upon what two (2) factors? - ans1) Outcome
2) time
Numerical ranking of severity: 1 - ansminor
Numerical ranking of severity: 2 - ansmoderate
Numerical ranking of severity: 3 - ansserious
Numerical ranking of severity: 4 - anssevere
Numerical ranking of severity: 5 - anscritical
Numerical ranking of severity: 6 - ansmaximum (currently untreatable)
Is mortality a sole determinant of AIS severity? - ansNO
Are all AIS data comparable from year to year? - ansNO (updates)
Is "DEATH" part of the severity scale? - ansNO
Is a patient who dies automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6? - ansNO (patients
w/ minor injuries can die)
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - ansNO (AIS 4 is more, NOT
twice as severe as AIS 2)
Are all injuries within the same AIS code strictly compatible? - ansNO (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? -
ans9
AIS single digit severity codes are based on what type of patient? - ansAverage
What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - ans1) 25-40 yrs old
2) no pre-existing conditions
3) no tx complications
,CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
4) received timely/appropriate care
Approximately how many injury descriptors are included in AIS? - ans2000
What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - ans6 digits BEFORE the
decimal point (left)
What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" - anssingle digit after
the decimal (right)
(T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and accurate
coding? - ansTRUE
The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ansBody Region
The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ansType of anatomic structure
(skeletal, solid organ)
The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ansSpecific anatomic
structure (femur)
The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ansLevel of injury within the
specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - anssynonyms or definitions for injury types
Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ansinclusionary/exclusionary info, OIS
Grades
Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - ansdirections to help coder choose
appropriate code
Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ansseparate injury descriptors that are
comparable in severity
Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ansproper-named injuries/structures, OIS grades
Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - ansNO (single injury severity only)
The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - ansSum of the squares of highest AIS in
each of three most severely injured ISS body regions.
What are the six body regions used in the ISS? - ans1) head & neck
2) face
3) chest
4) abdomen & pelvic organs
5) extremities & pelvis
6) external
Asphyxia is assigned to which ISS region? - ansHead and Neck
Drowning is assigned to which ISS region? - ansChest
Lumbar spine lesions would be assigned to which ISS region? - ansAbdomen & pelvic
contents
Are external injuries coded independent of their body region? - ansYES
Hypothermia, electrical injuries, and whole body injuries are coded to which ISS region? -
ansExternal
,CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
The ISS score ranged from _____ to _____ ? - ans1 to 75
What are the two ways an ISS of 75 can be achieved? - ans1) 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? - ansNO
Can less than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ansYES
Can more than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ansNO
Do all ISS scores have the same mortality rates? - ansNO (depends on body regions affected)
Assigning injuries to too few body regions results in what? - ansunderestimation of ISS
Assigning injuries to too many body regions results in what? - ansoverestimation of ISS
Are complications or sequela included in the definition of an injury? - ansNO
Define injury? - ansAnatomic lesion resulting from transfer of injury.
List seven (7) examples of sequela that are coded in AIS as injuries? - ans1) 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? - ansNO
Are all clinical dx alone codeable? - ansNO (some require radiologic/autopsy findings)
Cranial nerve contusion is coded when there is what documented? - answeakness/paresthesia
subtotal loss of function
Cranial nerve laceration is coded when what is documented? - ansparalysis/total loss of
function
What five (5) physical signs/manifestations are codeable as basilar skull fx? - ans1) raccoon's
eyes (periorbital ecchymosis)
2) Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis)
3) CSF rhinorrhea
4) CSF otorrhea
5) hemotympanum
What must also exists to code a basilar skull fx when only physical manifestations are
present? - ansevidence of head trauma (not r/t facial fx/injury)
Are complications coded as injuries? - ansNO
Are sequela or outcomes coded as injuries? - ansNO
Are injury etiologies (causes) related to AIS injury scores? - ansNO
Can injuries be assumed based on a particular outcome occurrence? - ansNO
If an AIS code of 6 is assigned, is it acceptable to stop coding subsequent injuries? - ansNO
Is death automatically coded as an AIS 6? - ansNO
, CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
Can an AIS of 1 result in death? - ansYES (rare)
Are cord lesions and vertebral fxs coded separately? - ansNO
What is important to look for when coding blunt trauma? - ansassociated/underlying injuries
Penetrating injuries that do not injure underlying structures should be coded in what ISS body
region? - ansExternal
Injuries that result from energy dissipated from a penetrating wound are called direct or
indirect? - ansindirect
With penetrating injuries to internal structures, is the overlying skin injury coded separately?
- ansNO
Bullet wounds/penetrating injuries resulting in fx are coded as open or closed fractures? -
ansOPEN
When detailed information regarding an injury is lacking, what descriptor is often used? -
ansNFS
NFS can refer to what two components of a code? - ans1) injury unspecified
2) severity unspecified
Should patients with AIS code 9 injuries be included in research studies? - ansNO
An articular fracture involves what structure? - ansJOINT
A fracture with three or more fragments with proximal and distal fragments not touching is
defined as what? - anscomplex
When two ends of a bone are not aligned the fracture is called what? - ansdisplaced
When multiple bone fragments are present a fracture is called what? - anscomminuted
Sprains occur to joints or muscles? - ansjoints
Strains occur to joints or muscles? - ansmuscles
Massive destruction of a body part with damage to underlying skeletal, tissue, organ, and
vascular systems is known as what type of injury? - anscrush
(T/F) A vessel puncture or perforation is also known as a laceration. - ansTRUE
(T/F) A muscle tear, rupture, or avulsion is also known as a laceration. - ansTRUE
Blood loss of > 20% is approximately how many cc? - ans> 1000 cc
When there is any question about the severity of an injury based upon all available
information the coder should chose the __________ severe AIS code in that category. -
ansleast
Brain death/blindness are consequences of injury and can or cannot be coded? - anscannot
Is a foreign body considered and injury in and of itself? - ansNO (cannot code)
(T/F) Bilateral injures of kidneys, eyes, ears, and extremities are typically codes as separate
injuries (with some exceptions). - ansTRUE
(T/F) Multiple fractures to the same bone but in different areas are coded separately. -
ansTRUE
(T/F) If multiple fractures to a single bone exist but are not specified as to location, they are
coded as a single injury. - ansTRUE
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
Origins of AIS (3) - ans1) Standardized system
2) Classify type/severity of injury from MVC
3) Consensus
Injury descriptors are organized _________________________ ? - ansAnatomically
Injury severity is ranked relative to its importance to _______________? - ansThe whole
body
AIS reflects severity of single injuries and are unaffected by what three things? - ans1) time
2) sequela
3) outcome
What type of scale does AIS use? - ans6 point ordinal scale
Which type of measurement is more variable? Anatomic or Physiologic? - ansPhysiologic
Is clinical training necessary for collecting injury data? - ansNO
AIS is based on what three (3) factors? - ans1) anatomically- based
2) consensus driven
3) global
Severity is NOT contingent upon what two (2) factors? - ans1) Outcome
2) time
Numerical ranking of severity: 1 - ansminor
Numerical ranking of severity: 2 - ansmoderate
Numerical ranking of severity: 3 - ansserious
Numerical ranking of severity: 4 - anssevere
Numerical ranking of severity: 5 - anscritical
Numerical ranking of severity: 6 - ansmaximum (currently untreatable)
Is mortality a sole determinant of AIS severity? - ansNO
Are all AIS data comparable from year to year? - ansNO (updates)
Is "DEATH" part of the severity scale? - ansNO
Is a patient who dies automatically assigned the highest AIS severity of 6? - ansNO (patients
w/ minor injuries can die)
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - ansNO (AIS 4 is more, NOT
twice as severe as AIS 2)
Are all injuries within the same AIS code strictly compatible? - ansNO (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? -
ans9
AIS single digit severity codes are based on what type of patient? - ansAverage
What four (4) things define the "average" patient? - ans1) 25-40 yrs old
2) no pre-existing conditions
3) no tx complications
,CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
4) received timely/appropriate care
Approximately how many injury descriptors are included in AIS? - ans2000
What part of the AIS code is considered the "Pre-Dot Code?" - ans6 digits BEFORE the
decimal point (left)
What part of the AIS code is considered the "AIS Severity Number?" - anssingle digit after
the decimal (right)
(T/F) The 6 digit pre-dot codes are unique and allow for more specificity and accurate
coding? - ansTRUE
The first digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ansBody Region
The second digit in the pre-dot code corresponds to what? - ansType of anatomic structure
(skeletal, solid organ)
The third/fourth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ansSpecific anatomic
structure (femur)
The fifth/sixth digits in the pre-dot code correspond to what? - ansLevel of injury within the
specific body region and anatomic structure (NFS, minor, major)
Parenthesis in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - anssynonyms or definitions for injury types
Brackets in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ansinclusionary/exclusionary info, OIS
Grades
Boxed bold type in the AIS dictionary indicates what? - ansdirections to help coder choose
appropriate code
Semicolons in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ansseparate injury descriptors that are
comparable in severity
Italics in the AIS dictionary indicate what? - ansproper-named injuries/structures, OIS grades
Does AIS assess the severity of multiple injuries? - ansNO (single injury severity only)
The injury Severity Score (ISS) is defined as what? - ansSum of the squares of highest AIS in
each of three most severely injured ISS body regions.
What are the six body regions used in the ISS? - ans1) head & neck
2) face
3) chest
4) abdomen & pelvic organs
5) extremities & pelvis
6) external
Asphyxia is assigned to which ISS region? - ansHead and Neck
Drowning is assigned to which ISS region? - ansChest
Lumbar spine lesions would be assigned to which ISS region? - ansAbdomen & pelvic
contents
Are external injuries coded independent of their body region? - ansYES
Hypothermia, electrical injuries, and whole body injuries are coded to which ISS region? -
ansExternal
,CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
The ISS score ranged from _____ to _____ ? - ans1 to 75
What are the two ways an ISS of 75 can be achieved? - ans1) 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? - ansNO
Can less than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ansYES
Can more than three regions be used to calculate an ISS? - ansNO
Do all ISS scores have the same mortality rates? - ansNO (depends on body regions affected)
Assigning injuries to too few body regions results in what? - ansunderestimation of ISS
Assigning injuries to too many body regions results in what? - ansoverestimation of ISS
Are complications or sequela included in the definition of an injury? - ansNO
Define injury? - ansAnatomic lesion resulting from transfer of injury.
List seven (7) examples of sequela that are coded in AIS as injuries? - ans1) 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? - ansNO
Are all clinical dx alone codeable? - ansNO (some require radiologic/autopsy findings)
Cranial nerve contusion is coded when there is what documented? - answeakness/paresthesia
subtotal loss of function
Cranial nerve laceration is coded when what is documented? - ansparalysis/total loss of
function
What five (5) physical signs/manifestations are codeable as basilar skull fx? - ans1) raccoon's
eyes (periorbital ecchymosis)
2) Battle's sign (mastoid ecchymosis)
3) CSF rhinorrhea
4) CSF otorrhea
5) hemotympanum
What must also exists to code a basilar skull fx when only physical manifestations are
present? - ansevidence of head trauma (not r/t facial fx/injury)
Are complications coded as injuries? - ansNO
Are sequela or outcomes coded as injuries? - ansNO
Are injury etiologies (causes) related to AIS injury scores? - ansNO
Can injuries be assumed based on a particular outcome occurrence? - ansNO
If an AIS code of 6 is assigned, is it acceptable to stop coding subsequent injuries? - ansNO
Is death automatically coded as an AIS 6? - ansNO
, CAISS Certification Exam Study Guide with
Questions and Answers (2025)
Comprehensive CAISS certification exam
preparation material featuring 149 up-to-date
questions and detailed answers covering cyber
security, risk management, threat assessment,
and incident response aligned with 2025
standards.
Can an AIS of 1 result in death? - ansYES (rare)
Are cord lesions and vertebral fxs coded separately? - ansNO
What is important to look for when coding blunt trauma? - ansassociated/underlying injuries
Penetrating injuries that do not injure underlying structures should be coded in what ISS body
region? - ansExternal
Injuries that result from energy dissipated from a penetrating wound are called direct or
indirect? - ansindirect
With penetrating injuries to internal structures, is the overlying skin injury coded separately?
- ansNO
Bullet wounds/penetrating injuries resulting in fx are coded as open or closed fractures? -
ansOPEN
When detailed information regarding an injury is lacking, what descriptor is often used? -
ansNFS
NFS can refer to what two components of a code? - ans1) injury unspecified
2) severity unspecified
Should patients with AIS code 9 injuries be included in research studies? - ansNO
An articular fracture involves what structure? - ansJOINT
A fracture with three or more fragments with proximal and distal fragments not touching is
defined as what? - anscomplex
When two ends of a bone are not aligned the fracture is called what? - ansdisplaced
When multiple bone fragments are present a fracture is called what? - anscomminuted
Sprains occur to joints or muscles? - ansjoints
Strains occur to joints or muscles? - ansmuscles
Massive destruction of a body part with damage to underlying skeletal, tissue, organ, and
vascular systems is known as what type of injury? - anscrush
(T/F) A vessel puncture or perforation is also known as a laceration. - ansTRUE
(T/F) A muscle tear, rupture, or avulsion is also known as a laceration. - ansTRUE
Blood loss of > 20% is approximately how many cc? - ans> 1000 cc
When there is any question about the severity of an injury based upon all available
information the coder should chose the __________ severe AIS code in that category. -
ansleast
Brain death/blindness are consequences of injury and can or cannot be coded? - anscannot
Is a foreign body considered and injury in and of itself? - ansNO (cannot code)
(T/F) Bilateral injures of kidneys, eyes, ears, and extremities are typically codes as separate
injuries (with some exceptions). - ansTRUE
(T/F) Multiple fractures to the same bone but in different areas are coded separately. -
ansTRUE
(T/F) If multiple fractures to a single bone exist but are not specified as to location, they are
coded as a single injury. - ansTRUE
