Coding > Coding

Hematoma of laceration

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coder1013:
Patient has laceration of left lower leg from a saw accident, that was repaired a week ago. Returns to the ED with a hematoma to the lower part of the laceration. Would I report it as T79.8XXA?

Michele:
Is this by any chance for a homework assignment?  I don't mind helping but I don't want to give advice on a real situation with the info below.  It would be irresponsible of me to code based on that information.  So if this is a hypothetical situation, wouldn't you use S80.12X*  (A,D or S) as the primary diagnosis and maybe the T79.8XXA secondary?  I'm not a certified coder but the S80.12X* code seems more specific to your situation described.  But again, this is hypothetical based on the little info provided.  If this were a real situation I would need access to the patient's chart to be able to answer.

kristin:
To add, most wound repair codes carry a 10 day global period, so if the original repair of the laceration was billed with a code that has a 10 day global period, a return visit 7 days later for a hematoma at the repair site would be considered a complication, and would not be billable to most insurances. That said, I agree with Michele...I would look at the S80.12X* codes first, based on the limited info you have provided.

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