Burn of first degree of chest wall, sequela

This code signifies a first-degree burn affecting the chest wall, specifically indicating that the burn itself is a sequela, meaning it is a late effect or complication of an earlier injury or condition. First-degree burns are superficial, involving only the epidermis, and typically present with redness, minor swelling, and pain without blistering.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with a first-degree burn to the chest wall that is a residual effect of a previous burn injury or other trauma. This is appropriate for follow-up encounters where the initial acute burn has healed, but the patient is still experiencing symptoms or complications directly attributable to the past burn.

• Always assign an external cause code (V00-Y99) to describe the circumstances of the original burn injury.
• Ensure documentation clearly states that the burn is a "sequela" or "late effect" to justify the use of the 'S' seventh character.
• Do not use this code for acute, active first-degree burns; instead, use the appropriate acute burn code without the 'S' seventh character.