Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Answer: Code for this patient as follows, suggests Trish Twombly, BSN, RN, HCS-D, CHCE, COS-C, director of coding with Foundation Management Services in Denton, Texas:

• M1020a: 707.05 (Pressure ulcer; buttock);
• M1022b: 707.23 (Pressure ulcer; stage III);
• M1022c: 707.22 (Pressure ulcer; stage II);
• M1022d: 707.07 (Pressure ulcer; heel);
• M1022e: 707.21 (Pressure ulcer; stage I); and
• M1022f: 707.01 (Pressure ulcer; elbow).

This patient has bilateral pressure ulcers of differing stages on his buttocks. To code for these, you need only list the site one time. But you'll list a code for each stage following the site code.

Your patient's pressure ulcer of the elbow is closed, but OASIS-C guidelines hold that stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers never heal. So, you'll need to report the stage 4 pressure ulcer even though it is closed.