S44.40

Documentation support

General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.

• •This code describes an unspecified presentation. If the medical record documents a more specific detail (e.g. laterality, type, or affected site), a more specific sibling code should be used instead — see Related codes below.
• •Laterality-specific codes exist for this condition — confirm the affected side is documented.
• •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.