Injury of digital nerve of left middle finger, sequela

This code signifies a long-term or late-effect complication stemming from a past injury to the digital nerve of the left middle finger. This could manifest as persistent pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the affected digit, occurring after the initial acute injury has healed.

Apply this code when documenting a patient presenting with ongoing neurological deficits in their left middle finger, directly attributable to a previous digital nerve injury. This is appropriate for follow-up encounters where the sequela of the original injury is being treated or evaluated, rather than the acute injury itself.

• Always use this code as a secondary diagnosis, following a code for the specific sequela (e.g., chronic pain, paresthesia).
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current neurological symptoms to a prior injury of the left middle finger's digital nerve.
• Verify that the "S" seventh character is appropriate, indicating a sequela, and not an initial encounter or subsequent encounter for the acute injury.