Struck by cow, initial encounter

This code signifies an injury sustained by a patient who was physically struck by a cow. This could involve being kicked, headbutted, or run over by the animal, resulting in various types of trauma such as contusions, fractures, or internal injuries. The "initial encounter" indicates that the patient is receiving active treatment for the injury.

This code is appropriate for documenting the cause of an injury when a patient presents for initial evaluation and treatment after being directly impacted by a bovine animal. Examples include a farmer kicked by a dairy cow, a rancher trampled by a beef cattle, or a bystander struck by an escaped cow. It should be used as an external cause code to provide context for the primary injury diagnosis.

• Always assign this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the specific injury sustained (e.g., fracture, contusion).
• Ensure the "initial encounter" seventh character is appropriate for the patient's current phase of care.
• Consider additional external cause codes if other factors contributed to the incident (e.g., activity at time of incident).