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Radiology Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Don't Get Stumped by Pressure Ulcer Coding

Published on Mon Jul 02, 2012

Question: Our physician was asked to use ultrasound to evaluate a patient with a diagnosis of stage I pressure ulcer on her lower back. How should I report this diagnosis?Indiana SubscriberAnswer: You should submit a pair of codes. The first should represent the ulcer, and the second should indicate the ulcer's stage. On the claim, report the following:707.03 (Pressure ulcer, lower back) for the pressure ulcer 707.21 (Pressure ulcer, stage I) for the pressure ulcer's stage. Key point: Use the "stage" codes (707.2x) to describe the status of the patient's wound, but code the ulcer location first using 707.0x.
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