Wiki External Cause Code Question

[bnida]

If the patient has an injury, say fx or sprain, but they state no known injury, What external cause code would be appropriate for this if the cause of injury is not known? The guidelines state not to use Y93.9 Unspecified activity, if the activity is not known. The only thing close that I can find is X58.XXXA, Exposure to other specified factors, Accident NOS/Exposure NOS.

 

[CodingKing]

No known injury means you would not report an external cause code.

 

[krystle8402]

If the patient has an injury, say fx or sprain, but they state no known injury, What external cause code would be appropriate for this if the cause of injury is not known? The guidelines state not to use Y93.9 Unspecified activity, if the activity is not known. The only thing close that I can find is X58.XXXA, Exposure to other specified factors, Accident NOS/Exposure NOS.

We have a facility that requires us to code activity even if it is unspecified. . .so we would have to code Y93.9. Confusing since the guidelines state otherwise!

 

[mitchellde]

The guidelines cannot be overridden. If you look on the first page paragraph 3 it states that adherence to the guidelines is required under HIPAA, so you need to share this with your facility that since the guidelines state to not use y93.9 then you do not use it.