CAISS – Thorax Exam Questions and Answers
Updated (Verified Answers)
1. What does AIS define as part of the Chest
ANS Skin (excluding shoulder girdle & sternoclavicular region), Trachea
& Esophagus below the sternal notch, bronchus, diaphragm, heart,
lungs, rib cage, sternum, Thorcic vessels(including thoracic aorta &
vena cava), Thoracic Spine
2. What does ISS consider as part of the Chest
ANS AIS Thorax Chapter, Thoracic Spine, Drowning
3. How is an "Open" chest wound defined
ANS Defined as a sucking chest wound
4. What region of the chest fills partly or complete with air, blood or mixture
for a pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemopneumothorax
ANS Intrapleural space.
5. What does the presence of air in the intrapleural space indicate
ANS Tears in the airway or chest wall, pneumothorax
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, 6. What does the presence of blood in the intrapleural space indicate
ANS Torn blood vessels, hemothorax
7. If a patient has flail and non-flail ribs on the right side how would you
code
ANS Unilateral flail chest and rib fractures without flail are coded
only as flail.
8. How would you code rib fractures if the patient had flail on the right and
no flail on the left
ANS Code as two separate injuries
9. Define flail chest
ANS Three or more adjacent ribs each fractured in two or more
places
10.Is a costal cartilage fracture considered a rib fracture
ANS Yes
11.What is necessary to code lung contusion
ANS History of trauma & verified by imaging or autopsy.
12.Can you code both a lung contusion and lung laceration
ANS Yes. Each are considered independent injuries in the chest
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Updated (Verified Answers)
1. What does AIS define as part of the Chest
ANS Skin (excluding shoulder girdle & sternoclavicular region), Trachea
& Esophagus below the sternal notch, bronchus, diaphragm, heart,
lungs, rib cage, sternum, Thorcic vessels(including thoracic aorta &
vena cava), Thoracic Spine
2. What does ISS consider as part of the Chest
ANS AIS Thorax Chapter, Thoracic Spine, Drowning
3. How is an "Open" chest wound defined
ANS Defined as a sucking chest wound
4. What region of the chest fills partly or complete with air, blood or mixture
for a pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemopneumothorax
ANS Intrapleural space.
5. What does the presence of air in the intrapleural space indicate
ANS Tears in the airway or chest wall, pneumothorax
1/3
, 6. What does the presence of blood in the intrapleural space indicate
ANS Torn blood vessels, hemothorax
7. If a patient has flail and non-flail ribs on the right side how would you
code
ANS Unilateral flail chest and rib fractures without flail are coded
only as flail.
8. How would you code rib fractures if the patient had flail on the right and
no flail on the left
ANS Code as two separate injuries
9. Define flail chest
ANS Three or more adjacent ribs each fractured in two or more
places
10.Is a costal cartilage fracture considered a rib fracture
ANS Yes
11.What is necessary to code lung contusion
ANS History of trauma & verified by imaging or autopsy.
12.Can you code both a lung contusion and lung laceration
ANS Yes. Each are considered independent injuries in the chest
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