Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Three ICD-9 codes will turn into dozens of options under ICD-10.

The diagnosis codes for open wounds of the toes are, to many coders, a brilliant illustration of how ICD-10 adds specificity — and complexity — to the ICD-9 diagnosis coding system. What had been three codes under ICD-9 will turn into several dozen once ICD-10 becomes effective on Oct. 1, 2015.

ICD-9: Under the current diagnosis coding system, the three codes you can use to describe open wounds of the toes are:

• 893.0 — Open wound of toe(s) without complication 
• 893.1 — Open wound of toe(s) complicated 
• 893.2 — Open wound of toe(s) with tendon involvement. 

ICD-10: Starting in October 2015, to find the right code, the podiatry coder will have to answer a few questions:

• Was there damage to the nail?
• Was the wounded toe a greater or lesser toe?
• Which foot was the wounded toe on?
• What caused the wound: a laceration, puncture or bite?
• If it was a laceration or puncture, is there a foreign body?

Here, we’ll look at the open toe wound codes that do not involve damage to the nail. The series of codes where nail damage is involved is also several dozen codes long; look for information on those codes in an upcoming issue.

Lacerations: For laceration of toes without nail damage, report one of these ICD-10 codes: