ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

If you’re working to sharpen your skin debridement codes, you may be curious about the role that wound care services have in the ED. Although CPT^® includes a series of active wound management codes (97597-97606), those are not typically used in the ED setting. These codes describe active wound care to remove devitalized or necrotic tissue and promote healing. They are typically provided in long-term care settings for wound care of bed sores or diabetic foot problems by podiatrists. The active wound care codes require debridement or other removal of devitalized tissue.

While selective sharp debridement may be performed at the bedside in the ED occasionally, the modalities such as use of a high-pressure water jet with or without suction are fairly uncommon. Absent clear documentation of one those functions being utilized when debridement isn’t justified, choose the appropriate E/M code for the site of service.

In the ED, the best code choice would likely be the ED E/M code (99281-99285) that most closely matches the actual service performed. If the wound is closed after cleaning, it’s possible that a repair code would be indicated as well.