Bitten by raccoon, initial encounter

This code signifies an injury sustained from a raccoon bite. It indicates direct physical trauma from the animal's teeth breaking the skin, and specifies that this is the first time the patient is being treated for this particular injury.

Apply this code when a patient presents to an emergency department, urgent care, or physician's office with a documented bite wound inflicted by a raccoon. This includes initial assessment, wound cleaning, tetanus prophylaxis, and rabies risk assessment following the incident.

• Always assign an additional code for the specific bite wound(s) (e.g., S61.02XA for an open wound of the hand).
• Ensure the "A" for initial encounter is appropriate; subsequent care would use "D" or "S".
• Document the circumstances of the bite thoroughly, including location and whether the animal was provoked.