tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2010 Issue 4

Reader questions: Make 948 Your Burn Coding Constant

Question: Our general surgeon treats burn victims, and I'm wondering about diagnosis coding in these cases. Do I need to include a code from category 948 on every claim? Michigan Subscriber Answer: Yes. Once you locate code(s) to represent the patient's burn(s), find the appropriate code from category 948 (Burns classified according to event of body surface involved) as a secondary diagnosis. The 948.xx codes can also serve as primary diagnoses when the documentation doesn't specify the burn site, according to ICD-9 2010. Reason: This code helps paint a better picture of the patient's injuries: The fourth digit...

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