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Gastroenterology Coding Alert

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Reserve Stage-IV Ulcer Codes for Worst Cases

Published on Fri Aug 27, 2010

Question: I'm looking for the right ICD-9 code that specifically describes pressure ulcer. Could you help?Illinois SubscriberAnswer: In 2009, ICD-9 unveiled a new code set for pressure ulcer. Where, in the past, you used 707.0x (Decubitus ulcer) for the condition, now you can code the ulcers by stage.Here's a rundown of the new codes, as well as some clinical descriptions of the associated condition:707.20 (Pressure ulcer, unspecified stage) -- Use this code if the internist has not specified the stage of the injury.707.21 (Pressure ulcer, stage I) -- "Intact skin with non-blanchable redness of a localized area usually over a bony prominence" marks a stage I ulcer, according to a National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) 2007 release.707.22 (Pressure ulcer, stage II) -- Stage II patients may present with an intact or open/ruptured serumfilled blister. Other characteristics of these ulcers are "partial- thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shallow, open ulcer with [...]
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