Bitten by dolphin, sequela

This code signifies a past injury resulting from a dolphin bite, where the patient is now experiencing a residual effect or complication directly attributable to that original bite. This could include chronic pain, nerve damage, scarring, or persistent infection that developed after the initial acute injury healed.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with a long-term health problem that is a direct consequence of a dolphin bite that occurred in the past. This is appropriate for follow-up encounters where the focus is on managing or treating these lasting sequelae, rather than the initial acute injury.

• Always sequence this code after the code(s) describing the specific sequela (e.g., chronic pain, scar).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the previous dolphin bite.
• Do not use for the initial acute injury; use the acute injury code (W56.01XA) for the initial encounter.