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Pediatric Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Ear Piercing Infection

Published on Sun Oct 01, 2000

Question: How do you code for infection of an ear lobe due to ear piercing?

New York Subscriber

Answer: Presuming that you are treating the infection long after the piercing has taken place, you can use ICD-9 code 872.79 (open wound of ear, other specified parts of ear, complicated; other and multiple sites) with the appropriate evaluation and management (E/M) level.
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