A patient presents with multiple skin lacerations on the lower arm. The physician performs simple repair of a 2.3 cm wound, closes a single layer of skin over a 5.2 cm wound, and closes a 1.2 cm wound with sterile adhesive strips. Using the CPT codes provided below, select the appropriate code(s) for these procedures:
12001 Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities; 2.5 cm or less
12002 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm
12004 7.6 cm to 12.5 cm
12005 12.6 cm to 20.0 cm
12006 20.1 cm to 30.0 cm
12007 over 30.0 cm

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For coding purposes, when multiple wounds are repaired in the same classification (simple repair in this case) and anatomical area (extremities), the lengths of the wounds are added together. The total length of the wounds in this scenario is 2.3 cm + 5.2 cm + 1.2 cm = 8.7 cm, which falls within the range of 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm, coded as 12002. The use of sterile adhesive strips is considered part of the wound closure and does not change the coding.

A Patient Presents with Multiple Skin Lacerations on the Lower