# ICD 10 code for direct fall in abdomen during pregnancy



## Sheyla44 (Oct 27, 2019)

What is the ICD 10 code for direct fall in the abdomen during pregnancy?  Is it O71.9 Obstetric Trauma, Unspecified? or W19.XXXA unspecified fall, initial encounter? Please advise. 
Thanks!


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## twizzle (Oct 27, 2019)

Sheyla44 said:


> What is the ICD 10 code for direct fall in the abdomen during pregnancy?  Is it O71.9 Obstetric Trauma, Unspecified? or W19.XXXA unspecified fall, initial encounter? Please advise.
> Thanks!


You cannot use an external cause of morbidity code as a primary diagnosis; that is a basic coding guideline. Not sure what you mean by 'direct fall in the abdomen' so I can't help you there.


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## mitchellde (Oct 27, 2019)

If you are talking about a fall subsequently striking the abdomen with or against an object then you start with pregnancy complicated by trauma, which is very different from obstetrical trauma..  so you should get a code in category O9A.2... then follow that with your specific injury code such as contusion to abdomen, then your external cause code but you need more than unspecified fall, especially if the documentation indicates striking against something.


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## Sheyla44 (Oct 28, 2019)

twizzle said:


> You cannot use an external cause of morbidity code as a primary diagnosis; that is a basic coding guideline. Not sure what you mean by 'direct fall in the abdomen' so I can't help you there.


Thanks for your help. Patient fell at 37 weeks pregnant and hit her abdomen.


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