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2018 CPC Practice Exam Answer Key 150 Questions With Full Rationale (HCPCS, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT Codes) Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers

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Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationale

Still an Abscess, or Non-Healing Operative Wound?

Wound care coding question! I’ve been working on educating the physicians I work with on ICD10 since it became effective. There has been a constant ongoing debate between the three of them as to what diagnosis to use in a particular situation involving abcesses. When an abscess is incised and drained, and they are referred to us for treatment because the wound will not heal, one physician wants to now call the abscess a nonhealing operative wound because they state they’ve had surgery, while the other two say it’s still an abscess.I have posted the question in social media coder groups. When it was suggested that we go with the diagnosis on the referral, I have suggested that to the doctors and, unfortunately, the referrals basically state "wound care", "wound left foot" or "wound abdomen" – they dont’ specify what type of wound. I need help to settle this matter once and for all. Any documentation that I can provide them is greatly appreciated, as I have researched and cannot find anything definitive.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

ICD 10 for non-healing traumatic wound

The HPI says "About 3 weeks ago, patient fell and hit left leg, causing a wound which has failed to heal despite several rounds of antibiotics and local wound care. The wound is getting larger and the patient is having more pain."

Exam says "the patient has a wound on the left anterior shin with exposed tendon. left foot is warm and well perfused. Palpable left femoral pulse. Nonpalpable popliteal pulse and nonpalpable pedal pulses."

Patient is elderly; is a current tobacco user, and has chronic lower extremity edema. Patient has not been seen previously by this medical group.

I’ll probably use S89.92X_, but is an A or an S more accurate? The wound has been seen and treated, just not by this practice, and after 3 weeks it should be healing, not increasing in size.

In this particular case, the provider gave information about the etiology, duration, depth, and location of the wound. Usually the reports from this office just say that there’s a non-healing wound on the left (or right) lower extremity. Is it best to just use L97.819/L97.829 in that case?

Medical Billing and Coding Forum