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Primary Care Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Subcu Foot Splinter Removal Could Be 28190

Published on Tue Apr 19, 2011

Question:The physician removed a 1.5 cm splinter from beneath the dermis of the patient's foot. She used local anesthesia for exploration and to enlarge the wound enough to reach the splinter with forceps. What removal code do we use? Wyoming Subscriber Answer:The splinter was subcutaneous, so the best code is 28190 (Removal of foreign body, foot; subcutaneous). The code includes use of local anesthesia, so you won't code separately for that.
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