Non-prs chronic ulcer of abdomen with unspecified severity

This code signifies a persistent, open sore on the abdominal skin that is not caused by pressure. These ulcers typically result from underlying conditions like venous insufficiency, arterial disease, or neuropathic issues, leading to impaired healing. The "unspecified severity" indicates that the depth or tissue involvement of the ulcer is not documented.

Use this code when documentation clearly identifies a chronic, non-pressure ulcer located on the abdomen, and the severity (e.g., stage) is not specified. This applies to situations where the physician's notes describe an abdominal wound as a "chronic ulcer" without further detail regarding its depth or tissue involvement.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly states "non-pressure" and "chronic" for the abdominal ulcer.
• If the severity (e.g., stage 1, 2, 3, 4, unstageable) is documented, a more specific code from the L97.xxx or L89.xxx series should be used.
• Always code any underlying systemic conditions contributing to the ulcer (e.g., diabetes, peripheral vascular disease) in addition to this code.