Question

Patient was admitted through the emergency department following a fall from a ladder while painting an interior bathroom in his farmhouse. He had contusions of the scalp and face and a displaced open fracture of the anterior wall of the right acetabulum. the fracture site was excisionally debrided and the fracture was reduced by open procedure with an internal fixation device inserted. Which is the correct code assignment?

Answer 1

The patient's condition involves several issues that would be categorized under different codes in the ICD-10-CM. The open right acetabulum fracture is coded as '9251' and 'S32.415B'. The debridement of the fracture site and fixation would be '11044' and '27246'. Lastly, his facial contusions would be 'S00.81XA'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's condition involves a few different issues that are all addressed in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). The open fracture is designated with the '9251' code signifying an open fracture of pelvic ring. Since the fracture was displaced and on the anterior wall of the right acetabulum, code 'S32.415B' would have to be appended. The procedure of excisional debridement of the fracture site can be coded as '11044' and the reduction and internal fixation of the fracture with open approach would be coded as '27246'. Lastly, his contusions of the scalp and face would require an additional code such as 'S00.81XA'. Remember, always to use the latest coding manuals as codes can change over time.

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