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Pediatric Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Count Dermabond as Simple Repair

Published on Thu Apr 14, 2005

Question: I repaired a child's lacerations using Dermabond in three separate places on the left arm. Should I report three repairs, or just charge for one?


Ohio Subscriber
 

Answer: Most carriers recommend that you code Dermabond as a simple closure, so you should add these same-location wound lengths together and only report one simple repair code.

Choose the most accurate code from the 12001-12007 series (Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities [including hands and feet] ...) and the upper limb open wound   ICD-9 code(s) 880-887. Answers to You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Jeffrey Linzer Sr., MD, MICP, FAAP, American Academy of Pediatrics representative to the ICD-9-CM editorial advisory board; and Charles A. Scott, MD, FAAP, pediatrician at Medford Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine PA in Medford, N.J.
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