tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2011 Issue 11

Reader Question: Does Friction Count as a 'Burn'?

Question: A patient presented with multiple friction "burns" from a treadmill. He had partial thickness friction burns to one hand, both ankles, and one foot. He had a full thickness friction burn down to the fascia on two fingers. Our surgeon cleaned all burns with Shur-Clens® and debrided the loose skin, applied Silvadene®, and applied gauze and dressings to all burn areas. What codes should we report -- should we use burn codes?Maine SubscriberAnswer: ICD-9 does not classify friction burns as "burns" -- rather, you should report them with a code from category 910-919 (Superficial injury). You should...

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