Contact with knife, sequela

This code indicates a patient is experiencing a current health problem or complication that is a direct result of a previous injury involving contact with a knife. It signifies that the initial knife injury has healed, but its lasting effects, such as chronic pain, scarring, or functional impairment, are now being addressed. This is not for the initial acute injury.

Use this code when documenting a patient encounter for a condition that is a sequela of a past knife injury. Examples include treatment for keloid scarring from a stab wound, chronic neuropathic pain following a laceration, or rehabilitation for long-term functional deficits. It should be assigned as a secondary diagnosis following the code for the specific sequela.

• Always assign a code for the specific sequela (e.g., scar, pain, deformity) first, followed by this external cause code.
• The "S" in the 7th character indicates "sequela" and is mandatory for this code.
• Do not use this code for the initial acute treatment of a knife injury; use the appropriate acute injury code with the correct 7th character for initial encounter.