Pediatric Coding Alert

Question:  A child required reduction of a subluxed radial head. Is there a specific ICD-9 code for this injury? Washington D.C. Subscriber Answer: Although ICD-9 2010 may offer this option, you'll currently have to settle for 832.0X (Dislocation of elbow; closed dislocation ...). "The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) has requested a unique code for nursemaid's elbow," according to the March 2008 ICD-9 meeting notes. The nursemaid elbow diagnosis code changes did not make it into ICD-9 2009. Hopefully, they'll be in 2010, says Jeffrey F. Linzer Sr., MD, MICP, FAAP, FACEP, at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. The new code, which if approved could go into effect Oct. 1 2010, would allow you to indicate subluxation with a new subcategory 832.2X (...; subluxation of radial head). You'll need a fifth-digit of 0 (elbow unspecified) or 9 (other) for nursemaid's elbow, according to the code's brackets, 832.2 [0, 9].