Contact with garden tool, subsequent encounter

This code indicates an injury or adverse effect resulting from contact with a garden tool, such as a shovel, rake, or pruning shears, that is being treated during a subsequent encounter. This means the initial treatment for the injury has already occurred, and the patient is presenting for follow-up care, wound checks, or management of complications.

Use this code when a patient returns for follow-up care related to an injury sustained from a garden tool. Examples include a patient presenting for a dressing change after a laceration from pruning shears, or a follow-up visit for a puncture wound from a garden stake. This code is appropriate for any encounter after the initial treatment of the garden tool-related injury.

• Always pair this external cause code with a primary diagnosis code describing the specific injury (e.g., laceration, puncture wound).
• Ensure the "D" seventh character is used only for subsequent encounters, not initial or sequela encounters.
• Verify the documentation clearly indicates the injury was caused by a garden tool and that this is not the first time the patient is being seen for this specific injury.