CAISS AIS Coding Principles 3

Question 1

Which of the following injuries would be coded in AIS body region 5 (Extremities)?

Accepted Answer

Comminuted femur fracture

Answer

The femur is a long bone of the lower extremity; femur fractures fall under AIS region 5.

Question 2

An AIS severity score of 6 is defined as:

Accepted Answer

Unsurvivable injury

Answer

AIS 6 (Maximum) denotes an unsurvivable injury, meaning the injury itself is incompatible with life regardless of treatment.

Question 3

When calculating the Injury Severity Score (ISS) from AIS codes, which scores are used?

Accepted Answer

The three highest AIS scores, each from a different body region, squared and summed

Answer

ISS = sum of squares of the highest AIS score in each of the three most severely injured body regions.

Question 4

A tension pneumothorax would receive which AIS severity rating?

Accepted Answer

5

Answer

Tension pneumothorax is coded AIS 4 (Severe) due to its life-threatening hemodynamic effects if untreated.

Question 5

In the AIS seven-digit numeric code, what information does the seventh (final) digit represent?

Accepted Answer

The AIS severity score (1–6 or 9)

Answer

The seventh digit is the AIS severity score, which is the primary clinical summary value used in scoring and research.

(CAISS) Certified Abbreviated Injury Scale Specialist Practice Test