tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2007 Issue 8

Reader Question ~ 'Comminuted' Typically Means Closed Fracture

Question: What exactly is an open fracture? We are having a debate in the coding office. One coder says an open fracture occurs when the physician has to open up the surgical site to treat the fracture, but I say it's when the bone comes through the patient's skin. Who's right?Louisiana Subscriber Answer: You are both right. Now it depends on whether you are talking about CPT procedural coding or ICD-9 diagnosis coding. From an ICD-9 perspective, open fractures occur when a bony fragment sticks through the skin (the fracture may also be called -compound-), or there is...

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