ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: I am having some trouble with burn diagnosis coding. When the patient has multiple burns, do I combine them and choose a diagnosis or code them separately? Montana Subscriber Answer: It depends on the anatomical location, or the severity of the burns -- or both. Without this information, it is difficult to choose accurate ICD-9 codes for multiple burn patients. Check out this quick advice to solve this simmering problem on burn coding: 1. Code each burn separately if the burns occur in different locations, regardless of the burns' severity. Also remember to list the burn of the highest severity first on the claim. Let's say the patient has second-degree forearm burns and first-degree thigh burns on his right side. You'd report 943.21 (Burn of upper limb, except wrist and hand; blisters, epidermal loss [second degree]; forearm) for the forearm burn; and 945.16 (Burn of lower limb[s]; erythema [first degree]; [...]