Assault by unarmed brawl or fight, subsequent encounter

This code signifies an injury sustained from an unarmed physical altercation, such as a fistfight, where the patient is presenting for follow-up care after the initial treatment. It indicates that the assault was not perpetrated with a weapon and that the current encounter is for ongoing management of the resulting injuries.

Apply this code when a patient returns for subsequent care related to injuries sustained during an unarmed brawl or fight. This includes follow-up appointments for wound checks, physical therapy, medication adjustments, or monitoring of healing from fractures or contusions that resulted from the assault.

• Ensure documentation clearly states the encounter is for follow-up care related to the initial assault.
• Verify the assault was explicitly unarmed; do not use if a weapon was involved.
• Always sequence this external cause code after the primary diagnosis code(s) for the specific injuries sustained.