Pressure Ulcer that has cellulitis

ksammons

Need some advise on which condition would be the Pdx in a scenario that has a patient with a pressure ulcer stage 1, sacrum with cellulitis around the ulcer.  Would the Ulcer be Pdx followed by the cellulitis or would the Cellulitis be Pdx?  Could not find any coding clinic guidelines for this scenario.

Thank you,

Kate Sammons, BS, RN, ACM, CCDS

Northwest Community Healthcare

Arlington Heights, IL  60005

Ksammons@nch.org

morris-jeff@CooperHealth.edu

What's the focus of the admission?

Jeff

ksammons

Homecare RN's concern for UTI (catheter related) as well as infected pressure ulcer.

Kate

morris-jeff@CooperHealth.edu

I am guessing the patient is currently in house? Has the UTI been ruled in or out? Not much you can do for a stage 1 pressure ulcer except turn the patient and keep them clean...not really a good reason for admission to inpatient care. I'd think the cellulitis would be PDX, receiving antibiotics?

evanspx@sutterhealth.org

Sounds like cellulitis is the principal diagnosis rather than the ulcer.  Derteming factors in my mind would be if any definitive procedure, such as debridement, is offered towards the ulcer, that would influence selection.

ksammons

Thanks everyone...in this case, no debridement done.  They were unsure of the Catheter related UTI, but were treating for CAUTI and Cellulitis of ulcer.  Patient went hospice.