ICD-10 holiday adventure

Dec. 11, 2017 / By Kelly Long, BS, CPC, CPCO, CAPM

I will admit I simply love the holidays. There is nothing more spectacular than the spirit of goodwill floating through the air. So, let’s have some fun as we walk through a winter wonderland (Y93.2 Activities involving snow and ice) and make creative use of some festive ICD-10 codes. But watch your step as it is getting slippery out! (W00.9XXA unspecified fall due to ice and snow).

Let us first stroll through the park and watch the kids slip and slide down the sledding hill, and hope they don’t fall off.  (V00.228A other sled accident, initial). They sure are having a great time in the snow.

Sadly, the weather outside has become frightful (T34.539A frostbite unspecified fingers initial encounter), but since we have no place to go, let’s enjoy some hot cocoa indoors, it will warm us right up. But be sure to blow on it first to cool it down (T28.0XXA, burn of mouth and pharynx, initial encounter).

How lovely to watch the snow fall and to hear the same carols being sung OVER and OVER. My head is ringing away with “Jingle Bell Rock” (H93.13 Tinnitus, bilateral). We may as well enjoy it and rock around the Christmas tree (Y93.4 dancing) but be mindful not to step on any ornaments, (Retained glass fragment Z18.81), as that would sting. Luckily all of our holiday shopping is complete so, as we enjoy these holiday tunes, let’s wrap some gifts. OUCH!! Papercut. (W45.1XXA paper entering thru skin). 

This has been quite an adventurous day, (T73.3XXs holiday exhaustion). After I say goodbye to my company, I head upstairs to nap, but I see a glowing red light. Could it really be Rudolph? (J34.2 nasal irregularities). Yes, I think that is him and he is heading right for the kids walking home from the sled hill (V06.00XA pedestrian on foot injured in collision with other non-motor vehicle in non-traffic accident). It appears Rudolph is still upset for not being included in any fun filled reindeer games (Z60.4, Social exclusion and rejection). Hopefully Rudolph is still up to the task of leading Santa’s sleigh this Christmas Eve.

Speaking of Santa, I hope the jolly fellow in red did not eat too many cookies already (R63.2 Excessive eating). His round belly could barely be contained in his Santa Suit last year (S30.841A, external constriction of abdominal wall, initial encounter) and he became stuck in the fireplace. (W23.1XXA Caught, crushed, jammed, or pinched between stationary objects, initial encounter).

It’s finally time to lay down my weary head while visions of sugar plums dance in my head (H53.9, unspecified visual disturbance). I wish you all a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Kelly Long is a clinical development analyst with 3M Health Information Systems.