Question

Explain the process for designation of a 7th character in ICD10 coding if there is no 4th, 5th or 6th character. Give an example of a code requiring you to use a placeholder, explain what the seventh character you chose tells the payer and define the diagnosis for the code you submitted!

Answer 1

In ICD 10, 7th character can be used incase of injury,poisoining and other external causes..It gives additional information about thr diagnosis..Incase of pregnancy,child birth and the puerperium it provides information about thr fetus..
? Initial encounter "A" considered for physicians claim those who are visited the patient during his treatment.In acute care hospital "A" is used as a seventh character when the patient receives active treatment..
?    Subsequent "D" used as a seventh character when a patient is receiving routine care durig his healing and recovery process..For example: patient with an shoulder sprain may return to the office to have joint stability to be re-evaluated to confirm the injury whether it is healing well..in this case "D" would be used as a seventh character..
?    Sequela "S": The seventh character "S" indicate when complications arise by the result of injury..For example: Sequela is a scar resulting by trauma..
? In addition "X" is used as dummy placeholder for the 4th,5th and 6th character when it is not been used..when 7th character to be used but the 5th,6th character is not there in that case "X" can be used as a placeholder..following example will give the clear idea:
?    S86.011A- Strain of right achilles tendon,initial encounter..
S86.011D-Strain of right achilles tendon.subsequent encounter..
?    Burn of third degree of left elbow,sequela T22.322S can be used..
?    Sprain of unspecified site of left knee and 6th character is not there S83.92XD can be used..
?Diagnosis code can be used only once..S52 is a diagnostic code for fracture of forearm..This can be applied for bilateral or two different condition..example S52.5 fracture end of radius..S52.52 Torus fracture of lower end of radius..S52.521 Torus fracture of lower end of right radius..