A skin tear is a laceration / open wound. Code to the open wound site. 7th character with skin tears is usually "A", not "D".
Nancy Wolverton RN,CCM QR Specialist, Central Office 5800 West 10th St., Suite 300 Little Rock, AR. 72205 Ph# 501-280-4913 Fax# 501-280-4385 Nancy.Wolverton@arkansas.gov
Nancy Wolverton RN,CCM QR Specialist, Central Office 5800 West 10th St., Suite 300 Little Rock, AR. 72205 Ph# 501-280-4913 Fax# 501-280-4385 Nancy.Wolverton@arkansas.gov
Yes, a skin tear can be “superficial” But in terms of ICD-10 coding, you are saying that all skin tears should be coded to T14.8, and not as an open wound?
Per Wounds International: “Skin tears are traumatic injuries” “skin tears are perceived by some to be minor wounds. However, they can be significant and complex wounds.”
And from the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel:: “ have established the following skin tear definition: A skin tear is a wound caused by shear, friction, and/or blunt force resulting in separation of skin layers. A skin tear can be partial-thickness (separation of the epidermis from the dermis) or full-thickness (separation of both the epidermis and dermis from underlying structures). Skin tears are acute wounds which have a high probability of becoming complex chronic wounds if not properly managed.”
ISTAP skin tear classification: type 1: no skin loss; type 2: partial skin loss; type 3: total flap loss
Nancy Wolverton RN,CCM QR Specialist, Central Office 5800 West 10th St., Suite 300 Little Rock, AR. 72205 Ph# 501-280-4913 Fax# 501-280-4385 Nancy.Wolverton@arkansas.gov
Comments
Code to the open wound site. 7th character with skin tears is usually "A", not "D".
Nancy Wolverton RN,CCM
QR Specialist, Central Office
5800 West 10th St., Suite 300
Little Rock, AR. 72205
Ph# 501-280-4913
Fax# 501-280-4385
Nancy.Wolverton@arkansas.gov
Brenda Hoss
Coder
Nancy Wolverton RN,CCM
QR Specialist, Central Office
5800 West 10th St., Suite 300
Little Rock, AR. 72205
Ph# 501-280-4913
Fax# 501-280-4385
Nancy.Wolverton@arkansas.gov
Brenda Hoss
Coder
Yes, a skin tear can be “superficial”
But in terms of ICD-10 coding, you are saying that all skin tears should be coded to T14.8, and not as an open wound?
Per Wounds International:
“Skin tears are traumatic injuries”
“skin tears are perceived by some to be minor wounds. However, they can be significant and complex wounds.”
And from the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel:: “ have established the following skin tear definition: A skin tear is a wound caused by shear, friction, and/or blunt force resulting in separation of skin layers. A skin tear can be partial-thickness (separation of the epidermis from the dermis) or full-thickness (separation of both the epidermis and dermis from underlying structures). Skin tears are acute wounds which have a high probability of becoming complex chronic wounds if not properly managed.”
ISTAP skin tear classification: type 1: no skin loss; type 2: partial skin loss; type 3: total flap loss
Nancy Wolverton RN,CCM
QR Specialist, Central Office
5800 West 10th St., Suite 300
Little Rock, AR. 72205
Ph# 501-280-4913
Fax# 501-280-4385
Nancy.Wolverton@arkansas.gov