Burns of 40-49% of body surface w 30-39% third degree burns

This code signifies a severe burn injury affecting a significant portion of the patient's total body surface area (TBSA). Specifically, it indicates that 40% to 49% of the body has sustained burns, with a substantial component (30% to 39% of the TBSA) being full-thickness (third-degree) burns. Such injuries are life-threatening and require intensive medical intervention.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states that a patient has sustained burns covering 40-49% of their TBSA, and within that total, 30-39% are specifically identified as third-degree burns. This is typically used for initial encounters for acute burn injuries, or for subsequent encounters where the burn extent and depth are being documented for ongoing care.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly differentiates between total burn surface area and the percentage of third-degree burns.
• Do not use this code if the total burn percentage or the third-degree burn percentage falls outside the specified ranges.
• Always sequence this code first for burn cases, followed by codes for specific burn sites and external cause codes.