ICD-10 Q&A
Disclaimer: All of the ICD-10 codes within this document were chosen by PTSF registry staff and reflect our opinion of the best code using standard ICD-10-CM/PCS guidelines and coding norms. As all good coders and trauma registrars do, you are more than welcome to disagree with any of the information contained in this document.
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(8/2/2016)
Q. What code should be used for a patient that was shot with a crossbow by her husband?
Answer: “Contact with arrow” directs you to W21.89, striking against or struck by other sports equipment. However, the excludes note at the beginning of category W21 directs you to Y08.0 for assault with sports equipment. PTSF staff recommends using Y08.09XA, assault by strike by other specified type of sport equipment, in this situation.
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(6/29/2016)
Q. Is there an ICD-10 code for ECMO?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends 5A15_23 (Extracorporeal Assistance and Performance, Physiological Systems, Performance, Circulatory, Duration (space holder), Oxygenation, Membrane).
Q. PT working as a trash collector riding on the rear step on the passenger side of the trash truck. As the driver was traveling on avenue, the Pt was knockedoff of the truck by a tree on the side of the road and fell to the ground. Pt's hip struck the textured metal step that he was standing on during his fall, causing the laceration to the hip. What ICD-10 code should be used?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends V68.7XXA (person on outside of heavy transport vehicle injured in noncollision transport accident in traffic accident).
Q. Patient was being chased by police, crashed his MV and then jumped from overpass to avoid police. The patient fell 60 feet landing on dry creek bed. What ICD-10 code should be used?
Answer: ICD-10 defines legal intervention as “any injury sustained as a result of an encounter with any law enforcement official, serving in any capacity at the time of the encounter, whether on-duty or off-duty. Includes: injury to law enforcement official, suspect and bystander.” Even though the patient was being the chased by law enforcement at the time of injury, PTSF staff recommends utilizing Y30.XXXA (falling, jumping or pushed from high place, undetermined intent) or W13.8XXA (fall from, out of or through other building or structure). Select the best code based on your documentation.Undetermined intent is only used when there is specific documentation in the record that the intent of the injury cannot be determined. If no such documentation is present, code to accidental (unintentional). A legal intervention code of Y35.893A (legal intervention involving other specified means, suspect injured) may be coded as a secondary code.
Q. Patient jumped from overpass (do not know if intentional or not) and fell 60 feet landing on dry creek bed. What ICD-10 code should be used?
Answer: Undetermined intent is only used when there is specific documentation in the record that the intent of the injury cannot be determined. If no such documentation is present, code to accidental (unintentional). Utilize Y30.XXXA (falling, jumping or pushed from high place, undetermined intent) if your situation meets the above criteria for coding undetermined intent. If no such documentation is present to code undetermined intent, utilize W13.8XXA (fall from, out of or through other building or structure).
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(5/31/2016)
Q. Do you by chance know of an ICD-10 code that could be used for REBOA?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends coding 04L0_DZ if the occlusion is at the abdominal aorta. PTSF staff could not find a code for occlusion at the thoracic aorta.
Q. A patient was injured by bumping up against the sides of a waterslide on the way down. What should I use for Primary ICD 10 Mechanism field?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends coding W22.09XA (striking against other stationary object) in this situation.
Q. A patient was injured upon impact with water at the bottom of a waterslide. What should I use for Primary ICD 10 Mechanism field?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends coding W16.012A (fall into swimming pool striking water surface causing other injury) in this situation.
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(5/9/2016)
Q. For a FAST exam, PTSF staff has recommended using BW41ZZZ if the ICD-9 code previously used was 88.79. If the ultrasound is done only to check for cardiac motion in a patient presumably dead on arrival to the ED and no abdominal imaging is done, should this code also be used in that case, or should it be B246ZZZ, which is more in line with an echocardiogram?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends that you only code the B24 code in this situation.
Q. For patients who undergo wound irrigation and debridement, should both OHB/OJB (debridement, depending on location) and 3E10X8Z (irrigation) be coded, or is the irrigation already part of the debridement?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends only coding the debridement; however, the PTSF has also submitted this question to Coding Clinic for guidance.
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(4/27/2016)
Q. An operative report contains the following procedures: fiberoptic bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage with bacterial culture and transbronchial needle aspirations of the R paratracheal LN. How should these procedures be coded?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends that the bronchoscopy (OBJ08ZZ) not be coded in addition to the lavage. This information can be used for the approach. The bronchoalveolar lavage with bacterial culture should be coded to 0B9_8ZX. The fourth character will specify the body part. Remember you will have to use two codes, one for left and one for right if applicable. The needle biopsy of R paratracheal lymph node should be coded to the root operation excision. PTSF staff recommends recording ICD-10-PCS code 07B73ZX.
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(4/12/2016)
Q. What is the ICD-10 procedure code for occlusion of VP shunt occluded at the clavicle level?
Answer: PTSF staff determined that this procedure is not able to be coded in ICD-10. Placement of a VP shunt should be coded to 0016_ _6; however, there is no ICD-10 code for the occlusion.
Q. What is the correct ICD-10 procedure code for amputation of left hand at PIP joint 5th digit?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends code 0X6W0Z2 (detachment, little finger left, open, no device, mid) in this situation.
Q. When looking at table 0X6 in ICD-10-PCS, what does 7th character qualifier of high, mid and low mean?
Answer: High=proximal, Mid=middle, and Low=distal.
Q. When looking at table 0X6 in ICD-10-PCS, what does 7th character qualifier of complete and partial rays mean?
Answer: 7th character qualifier definitions for complete and partial rays can be found on the table at the beginning of the Upper Extremity section. This table is on page 551 of the 2016 Optum ICD-10-PCS coding book.
Q. What is the correct ICD-10 code for a child riding on the back of a powerwheelstruck that brother is driving, falls off the back, and strikes her head on concrete?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends code V00.891A, fall from other pedestrian conveyance, be used in this situation.
Q. A patient was working on a mining machine when it caught fire. He jumped from the machinery and suffered traumatic injuries.What is the correct ICD-10 code?
Answer: Jumping from machinery should be coded to fall from machinery. Fall from machinery gets coded to contact with machinery. PTSF staff recommends code W31.0XXA in this situation.
Q. What is the correct ICD-10 mechanism code for a patient that was injured while being helped by transport personnel? Transport personnel grabbed the patient around her trunk and tried to lift and reposition her. Admission for rib fractures x2 and pain control.
Answer: PTSF staff recommend W50.2XXA in this situation. The lifting of a person for transport should not be considered medical or surgical care.
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(3/17/2016)
Q. When coding the craniotomy/burr hole procedure, is there any additional code needed if the patient has a subdural drain left in after surgery?
Answer: Craniotomy of the subdural space should be coded to 0094_0Z. Be sure to select 0 for the sixth character in this situation. Since character 6 is drainage device, no additional code is needed if a subdural drain is left in after surgery. Please note that table 009 takes up multiple pages. Be certain you are on the correct page of table 009 in ICD-10-PCS.
Q. When coding meniscectomy, what is the most appropriate code? Table OSB or table OST?
Answer: The alphabetic index of ICD-10-PCS directs users to table 0SB when looking up the main term meniscectomy. Table OSB (excision) should be used since the meniscus is a portion of the knee joint.
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(3/10/2016)
Q. List B of the PTOS Manual codes FAST exam to BW40ZZZ. Would BW41ZZZ fit better?
Answer: There is not a specific code for FAST in ICD-10. PTSF staff recommends coding BW40ZZZ and the appropriate code from table B24 based on your documentation. If your documentation states the FAST was extended to the pelvis, you may use BW41ZZZ instead of BW40ZZZ. Per the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), there is no single, defined code for the clinical FAST exam. Rather, the exam is reportable as either two or three distinct limited ultrasound examinations. The cardiac component of the exam is coded to transthoracic echocardiogram. The abdominal component of the exam is coded to abdominal ultrasound. The thoracic component (e.g. hemothorax or pneumothorax evaluation, if performed) of the exam is coded to chest ultrasound. The PTOS manual will be updated accordingly.
Q. Should code 0WJP7ZZ be coded for re-exploratory laparotomy?
Answer: PTSF staff agrees with code 0WJP7ZZ.
Q. What procedure code would we use if there were no procedures done during the patient’s stay?
Answer: If no procedures are performed during the acute care phase, please select ‘n/a’ from procedure code drop-down. Please refer to page 95 of the 2016 PTOS manual.
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(3/3/2016)
Q. If a patient receives a CT scan with contrast and a CT scan without contrast of a specified body part, does PTOS still only want the first CT per body region or both since they are different codes?
Answer: This question will be discussed further at the Trauma Registry Committee in March 2016.
Q. A young child puts a piece of a plastic toy in his mouth, is running, falls and the plastic toy strikes the back of the patient’s throat. What is the correct mechanism of injury code?
Answer: In this situation, PTSF staff recommends W01.198A (fall on same level from slipping, tripping and stumbling with subsequent striking against other object).
Q. What is the correct code for a patient that has hurt themselves by “stretching” or doing “strenuous movements?”
Answer: In this situation, PTSF staff recommends X58.XXXA (exposure to other specified factors, accident NOS).
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(2/23/16)
Q. When coding central lines, are we to code where the line was inserted (right jugular) or where the tip terminates (superior vena cava)?
Answer: Percutaneous placement of venous central line in right internal jugular, with tip in superior vena cava should be coded to 05HM33Z and 02HV33Z.
Q. How would you code right-sided frontotemporoparietal decompressive hemicraniectomy (burr holes) with evacuation of an acute subdural hematoma? Are we to only code the evacuation of the SDH?
Answer: In this situation, only the evacuation of the acute subdural hematoma needs to be coded (00940ZZ).
Q. What ICD-10 code would I use for ct pelvis, no contrast?
Answer: CT of the pelvis without contrast should be coded to BW2GZZZ (pelvic region), BR2CZZZ (pelvic bones only), or BW21ZZZ (pelvis and abdomen). Select the most appropriate code based on your documentation.
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(2/18/2016)
Q. What is the correct code for interosseous line placement of the R lower leg? Would you also code the infusion?
Answer: In this situation the PTSF recommends 0YHH33Z (insertion, R lower leg, percutaneous, infusion device) and 3E0A3GC (introduction, bone marrow, percutaneous, therapeutic substance, other substance). The PTSF has also submitted this question to Coding Clinic for guidance to determine if both codes should be coded.
Q. What is the correct code for a wound vac?
Answer: This is no code for wound vac in ICD-9 or ICD-10. You must code the procedure(s) performed, such as inspection.
Q. A patient was burned when Freon leaked out of a refrigerator and onto the patient’s skin. Is W93.8XXA the appropriate code? There is also a T code for Freon. Should this code be used? When is it appropriate to use a T code for the primary mechanism injury?
Answer: PTSF staff agrees that W93.8XXA is the appropriate code in this situation. The T code is not required in this situation, but may be recorded as the secondary mechanism. T codes can be recorded as the primary mechanism by coding guidelines. The registry committee will discuss T codes as primary mechanisms further at the Trauma Registry Committee meeting in February 2016.
Q. A patient was snowboarding at high speed and the board “kicked up” and hit the patient causing the patient to fall. Would this be coded to V00.311A (fall from snowboard) or V00318A (other snowboard accident)?
Answer: PTSF staff recommends V00.311A (fall from snowboard) in this situation.
Q. Is there a code for pelvic binders?
Answer: The PTSF recommends 0QS2XZZ and 0QS3XZZ. PTSF has also submitted this questions to Coding Clinic for further guidance.
Q. What is the correct code for CT AngioAbd and Pelvis w/wo Contrast?
Answer: ICD-10 does not seem to have specific codes for CTAs. PTSF staff has submitted this question to Coding Clinic and is awaiting a response. Once a response is received, it will be posted here.
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(2/16/2016)
Q. A patient had fracture of 2 left ribs and went to the OR for plating of those ribs. The ICD10 PCS code used is 0PS204Z – Reposition left rib with internal fix, open approach. Since the word “rib” does not address more than one left rib, do I enter the code twice for the single operation that plated two ribs?
Answer: PTSF staff recommend coding 0PS204Z once in this situation. Please refer to guideline B3.2 for scenarios in which more than one procedure should be coded.
Q. CT –angio’s are done at our facility but we don’t see codes with “angio” in any of the ICD-10 imaging codes. Are there specific codes for these?
Answer: ICD-10 does not seem to have specific codes for CTAs. PTSF staff has submitted this question to Coding Clinic and is awaiting a response. Once a response is received, it will be posted here.
Q. If the ED or Ortho physician at the referring facility documents “attempted reduction of a fracture,” should this be coded within the referring facility procedures?
Answer: Per guideline B3.3, “If the intended procedure is discontinued, code the procedure to the root operation performed. If a procedure is discontinued before any other root operation is performed, code the root operation inspection of the body part or anatomical region inspected.” The attempted reduction is not required to be captured; however, if you choose to capture this, code to inspection of the body part.
Q. What is the ICD-10 code for MRA of the neck?
Answer: For the time being, PTSF recommends coding BW3F_ _Z for Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA) of the Neck. PTSF staff has also submitted this question to Coding Clinic and is awaiting a response. Once a response is received, it will be posted here.
Q. What is the ICD-10 code for MRA of the head without contrast?
Answer: For the time being, PTSF recommends coding BW38ZZZ for Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA) of the head without contrast. PTSF staff has also submitted this question to Coding Clinic and is awaiting a response. Once a response is received, it will be posted here.
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(2/9/2016)
Q. What is the place of occurrence code for a homeless shelter?
Answer: The PTSFrecommends Y92.19_ (other specified residential institution). Record the appropriate sixth digit to specify the location within the shelter.
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(2/4/2016)
Q. What is the best ICD-10 code for open reduction and internal fixation of right bimalleolar ankle fracture?
Answer: In this situation both 0QSJ04Z and 0QSG04Z should be coded.
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(2/2/2016)
Q. What is the correct ICD-10 code for a patient smoking while on oxygen that sustains burns to the skin from a flash? Would we use W40.1 (explosion of explosive gas) or X04 (ignition of highly flammable material)?
Answer: X04.XXXA is the appropriate ICD-10 code in this situation.
Q. Would a box truck (ie delivery truck or moving truck that people rent) be considered a transport vehicle (o)?
Answer: Yes, a box truck would fall under transport vehicle (o). Please refer to the beginning of category V00-V99 in your ICD-10 coding book for definitions of transport vehicles.
Q. How should a CT scan done on a patient at an outside facility that we cannot get information on the type of contrast or if contrast was used be coded?
Answer: The PTSF recommends that you code Z, none when information regarding contrast is unknown.
Q. How would you code an escharotomy in a burn patient on multiple sites?
Answer: An excisional escharotomy or excisional debridement of the skin should be coded to table 0HB. Assuming the escharotomy in this example is excisional, it should be coded to 0HB_ _ZZ. Multiple codes may have to be recorded to capture multiple body parts.
Q. How would the following scenario be coded?
The neck laceration was inspected. We verified that the platysma had not been violated. We then inspected to borders of the laceration which we found to be irregular. The edges were trimmed with tenotomy scissors to provide better approximation. The superficial fascia was then reapproximated with simple interrupted 3-0 vicryl sutures. The skin was closed with 4-0 nylon sutures in a vertical mattress fashion. The incision was dressed with bacitracin, xeroform, a 4x4, and a tegaderm. Drapes were then removed and the wrists prepped and draped.
Answer: Based on the information provided, the PTSF recommends coding 0JQ_0ZZ. The ICD-10 code for inspection should not be included. The root operation inspection represents procedures where the sole objective is to examine a body part. Inspection is not coded separately for procedures that are continued with any other root operation being performed. Also according to guideline B3.11a, inspection of a body part(s) performed in order to achieve the objective of a procedure is not coded separately.
Q. Do we always try to code to a body part if possible vs a region?