Wiki Pressure injury/pressure ulcer

[bag4498]

Our Wound Care Nurses state in their progress notes the following:
Present on admission pressure injuries for current encounter. It has all kinds of other information as well such as staging, which for this patient is a stage 3. this document is reviewed and signed by the physician. The coder said she is not comfortable coding it as a pressure ulcer because it says pressure injury and not decubitus. Is she correct?

 

[cgaston]

I believe they are the same thing:

Pressure Injury: A pressure injury is localized damage to the skin and/or underlying soft tissue usually over a bony prominence or related to a medical or other device. The injury can present as intact skin or an open ulcer and may be painful.

 

[JMarieBrandt]

Coding Clinic defines a pressure injury as a pressure ulcer. 2016 third quarter.

Your coder can also reference the index:

Injury

deep tissue

meaning pressure ulcer – see Ulcer

pressure, unstageable, by site