CAISS Exam – Certified Abbreviated Injury Scale Specialist
Study Guide
Boxed & Bold Text - AnswerRepresent AIS coding rules and conventions and contain
directives to assist in the appropriate use of specific descriptions.
Brackets - AnswerDenote inclusive or exclusive information.
Parentheseses - AnswerInclude synonyms or occasionally, non-clinical terms and
provide a definition for the injury description.
Semicolons - AnswerSeparate injury descriptors that are comparable in severity.
Bold Type - AnswerIdentifies an anatomical structure
Italics - AnswerAre used for proper-named anatomical structures or injuries, and for
OIS grades.
AIS .1 - AnswerMinor
AIS .2 - AnswerModerate
AIS .3 - AnswerSerious
AIS .4 - AnswerSevere
AIS .5 - AnswerCritical
AIS .6 - AnswerMaximum
Range of AIS severity codes - Answer1-6
Is "DEATH" part of the AIS severity scale? - AnswerNo
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - AnswerNo
(T/F) Injuries within the same code may not be strictly compatible. - AnswerT
AIS .9 - AnswerUnknown
(T/F) The AIS single digit severity number indicates the relative severity of injury in an
"average person" who sustains the coded injury as his only injury. - AnswerT
,Average Patient - AnswerAdult 25-40 years of age
Free of pre-existing conditions
Free of treatment complications
Receiving timely, appropriate care for the injury
Pre-dot Code - Answer6 digits to the left of decimal point
AIS Severity Number - AnswerA single digit to the right of the decimal point.
Body Region - AnswerThe first number in the pre-dot code stands for?
Type of Anatomic Structure - AnswerThe second number in the pre-dot code stands
for?
Specific Anatomic Structure - AnswerThe third & fourth numbers in the pre-dot code
stands for?
Level of injury within the specific body region and anatomic structure - AnswerThe fifth
& sixth numbers in the pre-dot code stands for?
(T/F) AIS assesses the severity of single injuries. - AnswerT
(T/F) The ISS is the sum of the squares of the highest AIS in each of the (3) most
severity injured ISS body regions. - AnswerT
There are how many ISS body regions? - Answer6
ISS Body Regions - AnswerHead & Neck
Face
Chest
Abdominal & Pelvic Contents
Extremities & Pelvic Girdle
External
Head & Neck - AnswerInclude injury to the brain, skull, cervical spine or neck organs.
(T/F) Asphyxia is assigned to the ISS Head region? - AnswerT
Face - AnswerInclude injury to mouth, ears, eyes, nose and facial bones.
Chest - AnswerInclude injury to abdominal and pelvic contents, including all lesions to
internal organs in the respective cavities and injuries to diaphragm, rib cage and
thoracic spine.
, (T/F) Drowning is assigned to the Chest region? - AnswerT
(T/F) The ISS is the sum of the squares of the highest AIS in each of the (5) most
severity injured ISS body regions. - AnswerF
(T/F) There are 9 ISS body regions? - AnswerF
(T/F) Asphyxia is assigned to the ISS Chest region? - AnswerF
(T/F) Drowning is assigned to the Head & Neck region? - Answerf
Abdomen and Pelvic Area - AnswerInclude injury to Lumber spine lesions.
External - AnswerInjuries that include lacerations, contusions, abrasions,
hypothermia, electrical injury, whole body injury and burns are assigned to what region?
1-75 - AnswerThe ISS score ranges from what to what?
(T/F) An ISS of 75 can be derived in 2 ways: one AIS .5 injury in each of three body
regions or a single AIS .6 injury. - AnswerT
Should patients with a AIS .9 code be included in research studies? - AnswerNo
Underestimation of the ISS score - AnswerAssigning injuries to too few body regions
can result in what?
Overestimation of the ISS Score - AnswerAssigning injuries to too many ISS body
regions can result in what?
Injury - AnswerThe anatomic lesion resulting from a transfer of energy rather than a
complication or immediate sequelae is what?
Blunt, Penetration, Burns & Selected other Trauma - AnswerThe AIS includes injuries
from the what mechanisms?
(T/F) The AIS sometime permits the coding of immediate sequelae, but withing strictly
defined rules? - AnswerT
(T/F) You can code suspected, possible or rule out diagnosis? - AnswerF
(T/F) Clinical diagnosis alone are not codable for certain injuries. - AnswerT
Study Guide
Boxed & Bold Text - AnswerRepresent AIS coding rules and conventions and contain
directives to assist in the appropriate use of specific descriptions.
Brackets - AnswerDenote inclusive or exclusive information.
Parentheseses - AnswerInclude synonyms or occasionally, non-clinical terms and
provide a definition for the injury description.
Semicolons - AnswerSeparate injury descriptors that are comparable in severity.
Bold Type - AnswerIdentifies an anatomical structure
Italics - AnswerAre used for proper-named anatomical structures or injuries, and for
OIS grades.
AIS .1 - AnswerMinor
AIS .2 - AnswerModerate
AIS .3 - AnswerSerious
AIS .4 - AnswerSevere
AIS .5 - AnswerCritical
AIS .6 - AnswerMaximum
Range of AIS severity codes - Answer1-6
Is "DEATH" part of the AIS severity scale? - AnswerNo
Does a linear relationship exist between AIS severity codes? - AnswerNo
(T/F) Injuries within the same code may not be strictly compatible. - AnswerT
AIS .9 - AnswerUnknown
(T/F) The AIS single digit severity number indicates the relative severity of injury in an
"average person" who sustains the coded injury as his only injury. - AnswerT
,Average Patient - AnswerAdult 25-40 years of age
Free of pre-existing conditions
Free of treatment complications
Receiving timely, appropriate care for the injury
Pre-dot Code - Answer6 digits to the left of decimal point
AIS Severity Number - AnswerA single digit to the right of the decimal point.
Body Region - AnswerThe first number in the pre-dot code stands for?
Type of Anatomic Structure - AnswerThe second number in the pre-dot code stands
for?
Specific Anatomic Structure - AnswerThe third & fourth numbers in the pre-dot code
stands for?
Level of injury within the specific body region and anatomic structure - AnswerThe fifth
& sixth numbers in the pre-dot code stands for?
(T/F) AIS assesses the severity of single injuries. - AnswerT
(T/F) The ISS is the sum of the squares of the highest AIS in each of the (3) most
severity injured ISS body regions. - AnswerT
There are how many ISS body regions? - Answer6
ISS Body Regions - AnswerHead & Neck
Face
Chest
Abdominal & Pelvic Contents
Extremities & Pelvic Girdle
External
Head & Neck - AnswerInclude injury to the brain, skull, cervical spine or neck organs.
(T/F) Asphyxia is assigned to the ISS Head region? - AnswerT
Face - AnswerInclude injury to mouth, ears, eyes, nose and facial bones.
Chest - AnswerInclude injury to abdominal and pelvic contents, including all lesions to
internal organs in the respective cavities and injuries to diaphragm, rib cage and
thoracic spine.
, (T/F) Drowning is assigned to the Chest region? - AnswerT
(T/F) The ISS is the sum of the squares of the highest AIS in each of the (5) most
severity injured ISS body regions. - AnswerF
(T/F) There are 9 ISS body regions? - AnswerF
(T/F) Asphyxia is assigned to the ISS Chest region? - AnswerF
(T/F) Drowning is assigned to the Head & Neck region? - Answerf
Abdomen and Pelvic Area - AnswerInclude injury to Lumber spine lesions.
External - AnswerInjuries that include lacerations, contusions, abrasions,
hypothermia, electrical injury, whole body injury and burns are assigned to what region?
1-75 - AnswerThe ISS score ranges from what to what?
(T/F) An ISS of 75 can be derived in 2 ways: one AIS .5 injury in each of three body
regions or a single AIS .6 injury. - AnswerT
Should patients with a AIS .9 code be included in research studies? - AnswerNo
Underestimation of the ISS score - AnswerAssigning injuries to too few body regions
can result in what?
Overestimation of the ISS Score - AnswerAssigning injuries to too many ISS body
regions can result in what?
Injury - AnswerThe anatomic lesion resulting from a transfer of energy rather than a
complication or immediate sequelae is what?
Blunt, Penetration, Burns & Selected other Trauma - AnswerThe AIS includes injuries
from the what mechanisms?
(T/F) The AIS sometime permits the coding of immediate sequelae, but withing strictly
defined rules? - AnswerT
(T/F) You can code suspected, possible or rule out diagnosis? - AnswerF
(T/F) Clinical diagnosis alone are not codable for certain injuries. - AnswerT
