Pediatric Coding Alert
Count Dermabond as Simple Repair
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? 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.
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.
Pediatric Coding Alert
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Count Dermabond as Simple Repair
Question: I repaired a child's lacerations using Dermabond in three separate places on the left [...]
