tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2010 Issue 7

Reader Questions: Choose Between 917.8, 917.9 for Toe Tourniquet

Question: The physician removed a "hair tourniquet" of human hair wound tightly around a patient's third and fourth toes. There was no injury, but the toes were very red and swollen. What diagnosis should we code?Connecticut SubscriberAnswer: Your best choice is 917.8 (Other and unspecified superficial injury of foot and toes without mention of infection). If the tourniquet led to infection, change to 917.9 (Other an unspecified superficial injury of foot and toes, infected). The ICD-9 index lists hair tourniquet under "syndrome," which then leads you to "superficial injury by site" and 917.8 or...

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