by Chris Woolstenhulme, QCC, CMCS, CPC, CMRS
May 11th, 2015
ICD-10-CM, these Diagnosis Codes can be as short as 3 digits or as long as 7 digits; furthermore, ICD-10 consists of Alphabetical and Numeric values as well as a decimal.
Take a look at the following code:
S52.131A – Displaced fracture of neck of right radius, initial encounter for closed fracture
Digit 1 is alphabetical; "S" tells me it is "Injury and Poisoning"
1= S - Injury and poisoning
Digit 2 is numeric; "5" tells me it is "Injuries + "
2= injury to the elbow and forearm
Digits 3–7 are either alphabetical or numeric (alphabetical characters are not case sensitive)
Digit 3 is "2" Fracture of the forearm
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Remember a decimal is used after the third character just like ICD-9
Digit 4 is "9"
| S52.131A | ‑ | S52.131S | S52.131 Displaced fracture of neck of right radius | ||
Digit 5 is "3"
Digit 6 is "1"
Digit 7 = "A"
| S52.131A | Disp fx of neck of right radius, init for clos fx | |||
S52.131A – Displaced fracture of neck of right radius, initial encounter for closed fracture
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