Laceration of lung, unilateral, sequela

This code signifies a unilateral tear or wound to the lung tissue, specifically documented as a sequela. A sequela indicates that the laceration is a residual effect or complication of an earlier injury or event, rather than an acute, active injury. This could represent chronic changes or ongoing issues stemming from a past lung trauma.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a unilateral lung laceration that is no longer acute but is a long-term consequence of a previous injury. This applies to follow-up encounters where the patient is being treated for the lasting effects of the laceration, such as scar tissue, adhesions, or persistent pain directly attributed to the past lung trauma.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states the unilateral nature of the laceration and its status as a sequela.
• Do not use for acute lung lacerations; those require codes from the acute injury section.
• Always code an external cause code (V00-Y99) in conjunction with this code to fully describe the circumstances of the original injury, if known.