Primary blast injury of left ear, sequela

This code signifies a long-term complication or residual effect stemming from a primary blast injury affecting the left ear. This could include chronic hearing loss, tinnitus, vestibular dysfunction, or structural damage to the tympanic membrane or ossicles that persists after the initial injury has healed.

Apply this code when documenting a chronic condition or sequela directly attributable to a primary blast injury of the left ear, occurring at any point after the initial acute phase. Documentation should clearly link the current ear pathology to a past primary blast event and indicate the chronic nature of the condition.

• Always use this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the specific sequela (e.g., H90.5 for sensorineural hearing loss).
• Ensure documentation specifies "primary blast injury" and "left ear" to support this code.
• Distinguish from acute blast injuries (T70.1XXA) or secondary blast injuries (e.g., foreign body in ear).