Forced landing of helicopter injuring occupant, sequela

This code describes injuries sustained by an occupant of a helicopter that experienced an emergency or unplanned landing, resulting in damage to the aircraft and/or harm to those on board. The "sequela" extension indicates that the injury being coded is a late effect or complication of the initial forced landing event, not the acute injury itself.

Use this code when documenting conditions that are residual effects of a helicopter's forced landing, such as chronic pain, nerve damage, or psychological trauma directly attributable to the incident. This applies when the patient is presenting for treatment of these long-term consequences, rather than the immediate post-crash care.

• Always assign an additional code for the specific nature of the sequela (e.g., chronic pain, fracture nonunion).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the past helicopter forced landing event.
• The "S" seventh character indicates sequela and should be used for complications or conditions arising as a direct result of the initial injury.