Burn of third degree of upper back, sequela

This code identifies a third-degree burn affecting the upper back, specifically when the patient is presenting for treatment of a long-term complication or residual effect of the original burn injury. A third-degree burn involves full-thickness destruction of the skin, including nerve endings, and often requires skin grafting. The "sequela" indicates that the acute burn has healed, but the patient is now experiencing a chronic issue directly related to that past injury.

This code is appropriate when a patient is being treated for a complication such as scar contracture, chronic pain, disfigurement, or functional impairment directly resulting from a previously sustained third-degree burn to the upper back. It should be used after the initial healing phase of the burn is complete. Do not use this code for the initial acute treatment of the burn.

• Always assign an external cause code (V00-Y99) in conjunction with this code to describe the circumstances of the original burn injury.
• Ensure the "S" seventh character is used for sequela, indicating a complication or late effect of the original injury.
• Do not use this code for current, active third-degree burns; use the acute burn codes (T21.33XA, T21.33XD) for those encounters.