Our experts answer questions on NICU coding, ICD-10-CM coding for kidney transplants with kidney failure or other complications, and the acceptance of systemwide clinical definitions on queries.
Our experts answer questions on overcoming documentation challenges for sepsis, ICD-10-CM coding for infections of devices vs. wound infections as well as class three obesity and/or morbid obesity, and querying physician abbreviations.
Q: A month ago, a patient had undergone an open reduction and internal fixation of a traumatic fracture of the left femur. This afternoon, she was admitted for a severe and deep infection of the left thigh and immediately taken to surgery. An open, wide excisional debridement of the infected skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia was carried out, and the internal fixation hardware was removed. Cultures of the fixation pins grew Staphylococcus aureus. Can coders report infections of devices similar to how they would report a wound infection in ICD-10-CM?
