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CAISS-AIS FAQS CODING EXAM 2026 BANK
ALL COMPLETE (172) CURRENT TESTING
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED CORRECT
ANSWERS|TOP-RATED A+.
CAISS-AIS FAQS
Prepare for the CAISS-AIS FAQs Coding Exam with this concise
study resource covering injury coding, AIS guidelines, and
common exam questions. It reinforces essential coding
concepts and improves test readiness. Suitable for
professionals preparing for the CAISS certification exam.
Q: How and when can I code "concussion"? ✓ ✓ ......
ANSWER ....... A: You may only code "concussion"
(specifically codes 161000.1 and 161001.1) when the word
"concussion" is given by the MD as the only brain injury
diagnosis.
Q: How do you code cerebral shear injuries that have loss of
consciousness less than 6 hours? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER .......
A: The correct code is 140643.2 found under "Cerebrum:
hematoma, intracerebral, tiny - petechial hemorrhage(s)
, Page 2 of 67
[includes radiographic "shearing" lesions] not associated
with coma > 6 hours."
Q: What do I code if the patient has LOC and an associated
anatomical head lesion? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: If
the patient has an anatomic injury to the brain (e.g. SDH,
IVH, SAH, etc.) in addition to LOC, the LOC will only be
acknowledged by AIS if there is a coma modifier listed with
the injury. Remember that in AIS 2008 LOC/coma can only
be assigned to one injury [rule page 40] so if you have two
injuries with coma modifiers, use the one that provides the
highest AIS value for coma and code the other as NFS.
Q: A patient arrives to the ED with a severe head injury; he is
transported to the ICU in anticipation of organ donation and
while the brain death evaluation is completed. His final
diagnoses include the expected head injury and brain death.
What do you do when coding this chart regarding the brain
death itself? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: Brain death is a
situation not an injury. The coder would appropriately code
the lesions identified on CT as well as any edema. However,
brain death is a sequelae of those injuries. If the patient had
no codeable injuries in the brain, the only option in that
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situation would be to evaluate the chart for a traumatic
anoxic event.
Q: What is the correct code for an internal carotid artery
occlusion? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: This is impossible
to answer correctly unless you have more information. The
internal carotid artery can be coded under HEAD 121004.4 if
the occlusion occurs in that portion of the artery, or under
NECK 320220.3 if the occlusion occurs lower.
Q: A patient with diffuse axonal injury (DAI), confirmed by
both clinical and radiologic evidence, also has an
intraventricular hemorrhage and subarachnoid
hemorrhages. This patient remained unconscious from the
time of the insult until discharge from the ICU 7 days after
admission. How would you code the intraventricular
hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhages in AIS 2005? ✓
✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: These injuries should not be
coded. DAI is an example of a global injury which may or
may not be accompanied by other radiologic findings. A
clarification for coding DAI is now included on page 40.
, Page 4 of 67
Q: What is the correct code for the diagnosis "Subdural
hematoma 7mm thickness"? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A:
The correct code is 140652.4. If the specific region of the
brain (brain stem, cerebellum or cerebrum) is not indicated,
the injury should be assigned to the cerebrum.
Q: A patient sustains a basilar skull fracture, fractured L
zygoma and a nasal fracture. She has bilateral periorbital
ecchymosis. There is no mention in the chart of cerebral
spinal fluid (CSF) leak. How would you code the basilar skull
fracture? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: The correct code is
150202.3. If the patient has a CSF leak, the treating
physician(s) will always mention it in the chart. When there
is no mention of CSF leak, the coder may use the "without
CSF leak" code. The periorbital ecchymosis could be due to
the nasal fracture and is not necessarily a sign of bleeding
from the base fracture.
Q: How would you code the following injury; small
intraventricular hemorrhage in the third and fourth ventricles
with associated obstructive hydrocephalus? ✓ ✓ ......
ANSWER ....... A: The only codes for IVH are located
within the cerebrum chapter of the dictionary and are listed
on page 48 of your dictionary, but the answer will depend
CAISS-AIS FAQS CODING EXAM 2026 BANK
ALL COMPLETE (172) CURRENT TESTING
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED CORRECT
ANSWERS|TOP-RATED A+.
CAISS-AIS FAQS
Prepare for the CAISS-AIS FAQs Coding Exam with this concise
study resource covering injury coding, AIS guidelines, and
common exam questions. It reinforces essential coding
concepts and improves test readiness. Suitable for
professionals preparing for the CAISS certification exam.
Q: How and when can I code "concussion"? ✓ ✓ ......
ANSWER ....... A: You may only code "concussion"
(specifically codes 161000.1 and 161001.1) when the word
"concussion" is given by the MD as the only brain injury
diagnosis.
Q: How do you code cerebral shear injuries that have loss of
consciousness less than 6 hours? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER .......
A: The correct code is 140643.2 found under "Cerebrum:
hematoma, intracerebral, tiny - petechial hemorrhage(s)
, Page 2 of 67
[includes radiographic "shearing" lesions] not associated
with coma > 6 hours."
Q: What do I code if the patient has LOC and an associated
anatomical head lesion? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: If
the patient has an anatomic injury to the brain (e.g. SDH,
IVH, SAH, etc.) in addition to LOC, the LOC will only be
acknowledged by AIS if there is a coma modifier listed with
the injury. Remember that in AIS 2008 LOC/coma can only
be assigned to one injury [rule page 40] so if you have two
injuries with coma modifiers, use the one that provides the
highest AIS value for coma and code the other as NFS.
Q: A patient arrives to the ED with a severe head injury; he is
transported to the ICU in anticipation of organ donation and
while the brain death evaluation is completed. His final
diagnoses include the expected head injury and brain death.
What do you do when coding this chart regarding the brain
death itself? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: Brain death is a
situation not an injury. The coder would appropriately code
the lesions identified on CT as well as any edema. However,
brain death is a sequelae of those injuries. If the patient had
no codeable injuries in the brain, the only option in that
, Page 3 of 67
situation would be to evaluate the chart for a traumatic
anoxic event.
Q: What is the correct code for an internal carotid artery
occlusion? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: This is impossible
to answer correctly unless you have more information. The
internal carotid artery can be coded under HEAD 121004.4 if
the occlusion occurs in that portion of the artery, or under
NECK 320220.3 if the occlusion occurs lower.
Q: A patient with diffuse axonal injury (DAI), confirmed by
both clinical and radiologic evidence, also has an
intraventricular hemorrhage and subarachnoid
hemorrhages. This patient remained unconscious from the
time of the insult until discharge from the ICU 7 days after
admission. How would you code the intraventricular
hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhages in AIS 2005? ✓
✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: These injuries should not be
coded. DAI is an example of a global injury which may or
may not be accompanied by other radiologic findings. A
clarification for coding DAI is now included on page 40.
, Page 4 of 67
Q: What is the correct code for the diagnosis "Subdural
hematoma 7mm thickness"? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A:
The correct code is 140652.4. If the specific region of the
brain (brain stem, cerebellum or cerebrum) is not indicated,
the injury should be assigned to the cerebrum.
Q: A patient sustains a basilar skull fracture, fractured L
zygoma and a nasal fracture. She has bilateral periorbital
ecchymosis. There is no mention in the chart of cerebral
spinal fluid (CSF) leak. How would you code the basilar skull
fracture? ✓ ✓ ...... ANSWER ....... A: The correct code is
150202.3. If the patient has a CSF leak, the treating
physician(s) will always mention it in the chart. When there
is no mention of CSF leak, the coder may use the "without
CSF leak" code. The periorbital ecchymosis could be due to
the nasal fracture and is not necessarily a sign of bleeding
from the base fracture.
Q: How would you code the following injury; small
intraventricular hemorrhage in the third and fourth ventricles
with associated obstructive hydrocephalus? ✓ ✓ ......
ANSWER ....... A: The only codes for IVH are located
within the cerebrum chapter of the dictionary and are listed
on page 48 of your dictionary, but the answer will depend
