Fall into natrl body of water strk surfc cause oth inj, sqla

This code describes a long-term or late effect of an injury sustained from falling into a natural body of water (e.g., lake, river, ocean) where the impact with the water surface itself caused the initial trauma, resulting in an injury other than drowning or near-drowning. The "sequela" indicates that the patient is now presenting for treatment of a residual condition directly attributable to that past event.

Use this code when documenting a patient encounter for a chronic or residual condition (e.g., persistent pain, limited range of motion, scar tissue, neurological deficits) that arose from a past incident of falling into a natural body of water and striking the surface. This code is appropriate when the initial injury was not drowning-related and the patient is no longer in the acute phase of treatment for the original fall.

• Always sequence this sequela code after the code for the specific residual condition being treated.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the past fall into a natural body of water.
• Verify that the initial injury was due to striking the water surface, not a submerged object, and was not a drowning event.