Sally was seen today for repair of four lacerations following a fall on some broken glass. The physician evaluated and performed simple repair on the following: a 6-cm laceration on the right forearm, a 2.5-cm laceration on the right forearm, a 0.5-cm laceration on the left hand, and a 20-cm laceration on the left upper arm. Select the appropriate ICD-10-CM and CPT code(s):

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For coding purposes, when multiple lacerations are repaired, the lengths are added together if they are in the same classification (simple, intermediate, complex) and on the same body part or within the same group of body parts. In this case, the lacerations on the right forearm (6 cm + 2.5 cm = 8.5 cm), the left hand (0.5 cm), and the left upper arm (20 cm) are all simple repairs. The correct ICD-10-CM codes for the injuries are S41.102A for the right forearm, S51.801A for the left forearm, and S61.402A for the left hand. The CPT code 12006 is used for the repair of a wound that is over 7.5 cm, which applies to the combined length of the lacerations on the right forearm and the single laceration on the left upper arm. The separate listing of CPT codes for right and left (RT, LT) or different lengths is not necessary since the total length of lacerations that are repaired by simple means is what determines the CPT code, and all lacerations can be accounted for with a single code in this scenario.

Sally Was Seen Today for Repair of Four Lacerations Following