CAISS Thorax Injuries 4

Question 1

In AIS coding, 'pulmonary laceration' differs from 'pulmonary contusion' primarily because:

Accepted Answer

Lacerations involve a discrete tear in lung parenchyma

Answer

Pulmonary laceration involves a discrete parenchymal tear producing a pneumatocele or hematoma, while contusion is diffuse alveolar hemorrhage without structural disruption.

Question 2

Rib fractures involving ribs 1 or 2 are clinically significant because they indicate:

Accepted Answer

High-energy mechanism with risk of great vessel injury

Answer

Fractures of the 1st and 2nd ribs require high energy and are associated with subclavian vessel, brachial plexus, and aortic arch injuries.

Question 3

A sternal fracture alone, without associated cardiac or vascular injury, is most commonly assigned an AIS code of:

Accepted Answer

AIS 2

Answer

An isolated sternal fracture without complications is coded AIS 2 (moderate), reflecting its moderate clinical significance without immediate life threat.

Question 4

The AIS 2015 revision introduced refinements to thoracic aortic injury coding primarily to better reflect:

Accepted Answer

Injury grade based on imaging (intimal tear through transection)

Answer

The AIS 2015 revision aligned thoracic aortic injury codes with imaging-based grading (Grade I–IV), from intimal tear to complete transection.

Question 5

When coding multiple rib fractures on the same side, the AIS severity increases with the number of ribs because:

Accepted Answer

More fractures correlate with greater respiratory compromise and mortality risk

Answer

More rib fractures on the same side indicate higher-energy trauma and greater respiratory impairment, which is reflected in a higher AIS severity code.

(CAISS) Certified Abbreviated Injury Scale Specialist Practice Test

(CAISS) Certified Abbreviated Injury Scale Specialist Practice Test

CAISS Thorax Injuries 4