The ICD-10 delay may mean another year to get familiar with the new coding requirements. To help you warm up to ICD-10, we’ve selected the most frigid, icy codes that are perfectly fit to the winter misadventures you’ll be documenting in 2015.
T33.5 Superficial Frostbite of Wrist and Hand
Everyone loves a good snowball fight—until you grip those projectiles a little too tightly without gloves or mittens on.
T.34.5 Frostbite with Tissue Necrosis of Wrist and Hand
This person might have won the snowball battle, but they might lose the war. This bite is definitely worse than the bark.
F33 Recurrent Depressive Disorder
When the days are short and the nights are long, everyone could use a little pick-me-up. The winter blues can make anyone a little bit out of sorts. ICD-10 has just the code.
M54.5 Low back pain
Remember how you’re supposed to lift with your legs? Too much shoveling snow and you can throw out your back if you don’t do it the right way. Next time, pay the neighbor kid 10 bucks to throw that snow.
V00.2115 Fall from Ice Skates
A double-axle can cause a double embarrassment if you aren’t an Olympic-level ice skater. If you take a seat before you take a bow, this ICD-10 code will come in handy.
W27 Contact with Nonpowered Hand Tool
Once the walk has been cleared, people can get out and do some chores. Of course, a bad grip on the wood-chopping ax can lead to a Cat Stevens wound; he knows the first cut is the deepest.
T11.1 Open Wound of Upper Limb, Level Unspecified
Watching the big game on television can be hazardous. If someone reaches for the last meatball that Aunt Rachel has her eye on, he could get stabbed in the arm with a cocktail fork.
V00.328 Snow Ski Accident
There is nothing quite like getting first tracks on a powder day. But when your skill doesn’t match your ambition, you could be headed down the slope in an ungraceful way.
V98.3 Accident Involving a Ski Lift
Bombing down the hill isn’t the only dangerous part of hitting the slopes. If a chair lift experience becomes, well, not-so-uplifting, your doc may jot this one down in your electronic medical records.
W21 Striking Against or Struck by Sports Equipment
The tension from the big game might lead some people to go out to the backyard to work off some steam. Folks just need to make sure that when they’re practicing their slap shot, they don’t accidentally slap themselves in the face with their hockey stick.
Independent physicians in private practice need to make sure they can handle codes like this at any time of year. Is your practice ready for ICD-10? Get your free ICD-10 risk assessment online now from AdvancedMD.
