Paralysis vs Spinal Cord Injury

[smaher82]

I have a pt who has paralysis as a result of spinal cord injury. The provider only selected a code for spinal cord injury.

My question is how would you code this? Would you use both codes?

 

[AlanPechacek]

Your information does not indicate the level of the injury (neck/cervical, upper/thoracic, lower/lumbar, etc.), so it is difficult to answer specifically, but I would recommend you review S14, S24, and S34, particularly the Coding Notes, which basically indicate the need for 2 codes: one for the nervous system injury , and one for the the spinal injury underlying the neurological injury. You probably need to get specific information, help, from your physician.

Respectfully submitted, Alan Pechacek, M.D.