Fall into natrl body of water strk surfc cause drown, sqla

This code describes the long-term effects or complications arising from an incident where an individual fell into a natural body of water, such as a lake or ocean, and experienced drowning or near-drowning due to striking the water's surface. It signifies that the initial injury has resolved, but residual health issues persist.

Apply this code when documenting conditions like chronic respiratory problems, neurological deficits, or psychological sequelae that are directly attributable to a past drowning or near-drowning event in a natural body of water. This code is appropriate for follow-up encounters after the acute phase of the injury has passed.

• Always use this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the specific sequela (e.g., chronic anoxic encephalopathy).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the past drowning incident.
• Do not use this code for the initial acute drowning event; instead, use the acute injury code with the appropriate seventh character.