Traum cerebral edema w LOC >24 hr w/o ret consc w surv, init

This code signifies a severe form of traumatic brain injury characterized by swelling of the brain tissue following trauma, resulting in a prolonged coma lasting more than 24 hours. The patient has not regained their baseline level of consciousness but has survived the initial acute phase.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates traumatic cerebral edema and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score or narrative description confirms loss of consciousness exceeding 24 hours, with the patient still in a comatose or severely altered mental state upon discharge or transfer. This code is appropriate for the initial hospitalization or encounter for this specific injury.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "loss of consciousness greater than 24 hours" and "without return to pre-existing conscious level."
• Do not use this code if the patient's consciousness has returned to their pre-injury baseline, even if they experienced a prolonged coma.
• Always sequence this code after the primary traumatic brain injury code (e.g., specific intracranial injury).