ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Remember to report the length of the repair

Properly reporting laceration repair encounters can cut seriously into a coder's time if she does not know the basics of this tricky coding task. But coders can fight the confusion with a basic knowledge of the components of laceration repair coding.

According to Jim Blakeman, senior vice president at Emergency Groups Office in Arcadia, Calif., there are three key principles of laceration care reporting:

- Report the total length of the repair. -The repair length includes all angles of repair, including curved edges. Measure the full length of the repair, not the diameter or greatest angle of the repair,- he says. For example, a good op note might include the phrase -5.5 centimeters by repair.-

- Add the length of each similarly classified repair within the same levels and body-area groupings. Also make sure to note the location of each wound the physician repairs in the documentation, Blakeman says.

- Report the wound repair according to the three levels of classification: simple, intermediate, and complex. Code and report repair codes in order of complexity, highest first, he says.

Note: For more information on laceration repair coding, see -Add Laceration Repair Lengths That Have Common Attributes- in last month's issue of ED Coding Alert.