ICD-10-CM Changes:
Effective Oct. 1, 2019
Beginning in October, Deep Tissue Pressure Injury will no longer be coded as an Unstageable Pressure Ulcer. Instead, ICD-10-CM has expanded Category L89, Pressure Ulcer to include Pressure-induced Deep Tissue Damage.
Why the Change?
- DTPI is currently indexed to Unstageable even though by definition, an Unstageable can ONLY be a Stage 3 or 4 Pressure Injuries.
- HOWEVER, by definition a DTPI may resolve without tissue loss.
What Does it Mean for Clinicians?
- Opportunities to improve documentation and tracking of DTPI for better surveillance and quality improvement.
- Educate your staff on DTPI (and other Pressure Injuries) and reinforce proper documentation.
- Incentive to start a “documentation dialogue” between key clinical stakeholders and coders to get on the same page.
- Evaluate available technologies that can aid in enhancing skin and wound documentation and improve workflows (we’ve got something for that…)
Here’s a list of the new codes (learn more from the American Academy of Professional Coders™):
1. L89006 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified elbow
2. L89016 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right elbow
3. L89026 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left elbow
4. L89106 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified part of back
5. L89116 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right upper back
6. L89126 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left upper back
7. L89136 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right lower back
8. L89146 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left lower back
9. L89156 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of sacral region
10. L89206 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified hip
11. L89216 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right hip
12. L89226 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left hip
13. L89306 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified buttock
14. L89316 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right buttock
15. L89326 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left buttock
16. L8946 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of contiguous site of back, but
17. L89506 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified ankle
18. L89516 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right ankle
19. L89526 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left ankle
20. L89606 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified heel
21. L89616 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of right heel
22. L89626 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left heel
23. L89816 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of head
24. L89896 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of other site
25. L8996 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of unspecified site
Source: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM)