# Need E-code for Surgical wound infection



## Orthocoderpgu (Sep 29, 2008)

Patient has shoulder surgery. The surgical incision becomes infected and sees our doc (not the surgeon). Would the appropriate E code for this situation be E878.8? Need a second opinion. Thanks.


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## MLS2 (Sep 29, 2008)

Maybe E879.8 or E879.9


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## tennislaurie (Sep 30, 2008)

What diagnosis codes are you using and why would this encounter need an E code?  The patient should be following up with the surgeon who did the procedure since he/she is probably in a global period of the surgery but of course I don't know dates of procedure, etc.


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## junebug1969 (Oct 1, 2008)

Are you using 998.59 as the diagnosis? I don't really think you need an E code in this situation. Those codes are really for some unusual situations and don't seem to be applicable for something as basic as a post-op infection. However, I'm not positive on this one!


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