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tci Outpatient Facility Coding Alert - 2018 Issue 5

ICD-10 Coding: Minimize Pressure of Pressure Ulcer Coding, Use these 4 Pointers

Look for site, severity, and more. When your surgeon treats pressure ulcers, you'll need to focus your diagnosis coding if you want to demonstrate medical necessity for the procedure. Also called decubitus ulcers or "bed sores," surgeons might debride the area, allowing the wound to stay opento heal, which you'd report with codes in the range 11042-+11047 (Debridement ...). This process is called closure by secondary intention, versus primary intention, which involves some sort of definitive, active closure. Alternatively, the surgeon might excise the ulcer and close the wound, which would direct you to codes 15920-15999 (Excision ... pressure...

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