Contusion of right middle finger w damage to nail, sequela

This code describes a bruise to the right middle finger that also involves injury to the fingernail or nail bed. The "S" at the end indicates that this is a sequela code, meaning it's used for complications or conditions that arise as a direct result of an initial injury, even after the acute phase has passed.

This code is appropriate for documenting long-term effects or complications of a contusion to the right middle finger with nail damage. Examples include persistent nail deformity, chronic pain, or ongoing functional impairment directly attributable to the original injury, when the patient is seen for follow-up care after the initial healing period.

• Always ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the original contusion and nail damage.
• Do not use this code for the initial acute injury; instead, use the appropriate acute contusion code.
• Consider if an external cause code (V, W, X, Y codes) is also necessary to describe the circumstances of the original injury, even for sequela encounters.