Theodore is an elderly 90-year-old man, who has been unable to leave his bed for the last six months. During his last check-up, the physician noticed a pressure ulcer on the back of his calf muscle. The ulcer was already at an elevated stage, with partial thickness skin loss involving the epidermis of the back of the calf. His physician recommended that Theodore be moved to an upright position to relieve the pressure on his calf muscle and prevent infection. If the pressure ulcer persists, Theodore's physician may recommend using a healing chamber as a way to treat the wound before it gets any worse. What is the appropriate way to code Theodore's pressure ulcer?
A)707.09
B)707.06, 707.20
C)707.09, 707.22
D)707.21, 707.22

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The appropriate codes for Theodore's pressure ulcer are: 707.09 and 707.22. According to ICD-9 coding guidelines, pressure ulcers need at least two codes to report them correctly. The first code should represent the pressure ulcer, which in this case is707.09 (Pressure Ulcer of Other Sit) and the second code should represent which stage the pressure ulcer is in, which in this case is 707.22 (Pressure Ulcer Stage II).

Theodore Is an Elderly 90-Year-Old Man, Who Has Been Unable