liver lacerations

I was wondering how other organizations handle the coding of liver lacerations (or kidney, or any other traumatic laceration of an internal organ). Coding asks mild, moderate, severe. Yet, medicine only speaks of grade1-6 (depending on the organ). I am querying on each one of these and the MD's always say they have never heard of mild, moderate, severe. Just wondering how you all have handled it and why in the world does coding not follow medicine (especially in this type of situation where medicine clearly has a staging system)??!!!


~Leah Savage

Norton Children's Hospital

Louisville, KY

leah.savage@nortonhealthcare.org

Comments

  • I had this same question at my organization. Fortunately, the ICD-10 criteria for minor, moderate, and major align pretty well with the surgical gradings of I, II, and III.  I asked if we could have a coding policy written and approved by surgeons/medical director so that coders can code based on surgeon's staging of I, II, and III + (anything including and over stage III be coded as major) but was told we could not. So, I clarify each one of these as well.

    Just another fine example of the disconnect between the coding and clinical worlds.

    Jackie Touch
  • That is what I thought, was just hoping for a different answer, LOL....thanks for the help!
  • Guys.. has anyone created cheat sheets for organ lacerations?


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