Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Question: I’m looking at codes from category L89- (Pressure ulcer), and I’m trying to figure out which character designates the pressure ulcer stage. Can you help me?

Maine Subscriber

Answer: The sixth character of the L89- codes identifies the pressure ulcer stage.

ICD-10-CM classifies pressure ulcer stages based on severity, which is designated by stages 1-4, deep tissue pressure injury, unspecified stage, and unstageable.

The different stages are as follows:

• 0: Unstageable
• 1: Stage 1 (Pressure pre-ulcer skin changes limited to persistent focal edema)
• 2: Stage 2 (Pressure ulcer with abrasion, blister, partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and/ or dermis)
• 3: Stage 3 (Pressure ulcer with full thickness skin loss involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue)
• 4: Stage 4 (Pressure ulcer with necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone)
• 6: Deep tissue damage
• 9: Unspecified stage