When To Use L89153 For Pressure Ulcer Of Sacral Region
Pressure ulcer of sacral region, stage 3 Billable Code. L89.153 is a valid billable ICD-10 diagnosis code for Pressure ulcer of sacral region, stage 3 . It is found in the 2021 version of the ICD-10 Clinical Modification and can be used in all HIPAA-covered transactions from Oct 01, 2020 Sep 30, 2021 .
Pressure Ulcer Icd 10 Treatment
Treatingpressure ulcer ICD 10 include:
- reducing the pressure on affected skin
- caring for the wound
- preventing infection
- keeping a good diet is needed
Members of the care team are a GP who supervises the treatment plan, a nurse who specialises in wound care, a nurse who provides care and training, and someone who administers the wound. Physicians specialized in skin diseases may also be involved. The nursing team may also include a social worker to help the patient and his family access resources and address emotional concerns related to long-term recovery, a physiotherapist to help improve mobility, an occupational therapist to ensure adequate seating and a nutritionist to monitor the patients nutritional needs and recommend good nutrition.
The following list contains numerous ways to treat and manage pressure ulcer ICD 10:
L894 Pressure Ulcer Of Contiguous Site Of Back Buttock And Hip
Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, unspecified stage
Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 1
Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 2
Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 3
Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 4
Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, unstageable
Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip
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L893 Pressure Ulcer Of Buttock
Pressure ulcer of unspecified buttock
Pressure ulcer of right buttock
L896 Pressure Ulcer Of Heel

Pressure ulcer of unspecified heel
Pressure ulcer of right heel
Pressure ulcer of left heel
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Audit Considerations & Strategies
- The original coder did not code the pressure ulcer excision. Adding either the right or left hip excision would drive the case from a medical DRG to a surgical DRG
- The procedure code may have been overlooked because the surgeon documented that the tissue was excised rather than documenting that an excisional debridement was performed
- Documentation of excision or excised is sufficient to code PCS root operation: Excision
- Always carefully review the entire medical record including the Progress Notes for bedside procedures, especially for patients with pressure ulcers
- Per Coding Clinic1, the body part value for an excisional debridement performed on a muscle in the sacral region is the Hip muscle. If the documentation specifies that the right side or left side of the sacral ulcer was debrided, then a single code can be assigned. If the documentation does not specify laterality, assign codes for both the right and left hip muscles.
- Since only excision of sacral pressure sore was noted, both the 0KBN0ZZ and 0KBP0ZZ codes were assigned
- Coding Clinic likely allows coders to assume both the right and left hip muscles when laterality is not specified because sacral pressure ulcers often develop on the lower back which would include portions of the left and right hips
- Cases with a principal diagnosis of stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcer automatically result in DRG 592: Skin ulcers with MCC
- ICD-10 only requires one code to be assigned for the pressure ulcer and stage
Reference
Pressure Ulcer Of Sacral Region Stage 4
- 2016201720182019202020212022Billable/Specific Code
- L89.154 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
- The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM L89.154 became effective on October 1, 2021.
- This is the American ICD-10-CM version of L89.154 – other international versions of ICD-10 L89.154 may differ.
- Healing pressure ulcer of sacral region, stage 4
- Pressure ulcer with necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone, sacral region
- Applicable To annotations, or
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Is Sacrum And Coccyx The Same
The sacrum forms the posterior pelvic wall and strengthens and stabilizes the pelvis. Joined at the very end of the sacrum are two to four tiny, partially fused vertebrae known as the coccyx or tail bone. The coccyx provides slight support for the pelvic organs but actually is a bone of little use.
L895 Pressure Ulcer Of Ankle
Pressure ulcer of unspecified ankle
Pressure ulcer of right ankle
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Pressure Ulcer Icd 10 Causes
The three most important factors that contribute to bedsores are:
- Pressure: Ulcers are caused by pressure on the skin limiting blood flow to the skin. Constant pressure on any part of the body reduces blood flow to the tissues.
- Limited exercise: Lack of blood flow makes the skin more susceptible to damage that leads to the development of bedsores. Blood flow is crucial for supplying the tissue with oxygen and other nutrients. Without these nutrients, the skin and nearby tissues can be damaged and die.
- Friction: Friction occurs when the skin rubs against clothing or bed linen. Friction makes sensitive skin more susceptible to injury, especially when the skin is moist. Shearing occurs when two surfaces move in opposite directions. In people with reduced mobility, this type of pressure tends to occur in non-padded areas such as muscles, fat and low-lying bones such as the spine, coccyx, shoulder blades, hips, heels and elbows. For example, if the bed is lifted, the patients head slips onto the bed. When the tailbone moves, the skin around it stays in place but is pulled in the opposite direction. They are most common in bony parts of the body such as heels, elbows, hips and the base of the spine. They usually develop and form within a few hours.
Pressure Ulcer Icd 10 Symptoms
Early symptoms of a pressure ulcer ICD 10 include discoloration of skin. People with pale skin tend to have red spots and people with darker skin tend to have purple or blue spots.
Category 1 Pressure Ulcer ICD 10: Discolored stains may or may not turn white when pressed. The skin can feel warm and spongy. Pain or itching may occur in the affected area. Doctors and nurses refer to pressure ulcer ICD 10 at this stage as category 1 pressure ulcer ICD 10.
Category 2 Pressure Ulcer ICD 10: If the skin does not collapse, but the ulcer worsens, it may form an open wound or blister.
Category 3 Pressure Ulcer ICD 10: When the deep wound reaches deep into the skin layers.
Category 4 Pressure Ulcer ICD 10: When it reaches the muscles and bones.
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The Icd Code L89 Is Used To Code Pressure Ulcer
Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, bedsores and decubitus ulcers, are localized injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissue that usually occur over a bony prominence as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear and/or friction. The most common sites are the skin overlying the sacrum, coccyx, heels or the hips, but other sites such as the elbows, knees, ankles or the back of the cranium can be affected.
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L898 Pressure Ulcer Of Other Site

Pressure ulcer of head
Pressure ulcer of other site
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Tabular List Of Diseases And Injuries
The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10 codes, organized “head to toe” into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more. The following references are applicable to the code L89.154:
Inclusion Terms
- Healing pressure ulcer of sacral region, stage 4
- Pressure ulcer with necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone, sacral region
What Is A Stage 4 Sacral Wound
Stage 4 bedsores are the most severe form of bedsores, also called pressure sores, pressure ulcers, or decubitus ulcers. A stage 4 bedsore is characterized by a deep wound that reaches the muscles, ligaments, or even bone. They often cause residents to suffer extreme pain, infection, invasive surgeries, or even death.
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Info For Medical Coders On How To Properly Use This Icd
- Inclusion Terms:
Inclusion Terms
Inclusion Terms are a list of concepts for which a specific code is used. The list of Inclusion Terms is useful for determining the correct code in some cases, but the list is not necessarily exhaustive.
- Healing pressure ulcer of sacral region, stage 4
- Pressure ulcer with necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone, sacral region
Q& a: Clarifying New Guidance For Pressure Ulcers Deep
Q: Our coding department was told there were changes made for fiscal year 2020 when it comes to reporting healed/healing pressure ulcers and pressure-induced deep tissue damage. Can you explain any recent updates?
A: You are right, there have been updates to guidance surrounding these diagnoses.
First, the FY 2020 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting have additional clarity on patients admitted with pressure ulcers documented as healed. The guidelines added the phrase at the time of admission. The guidelines now state that there is currently no code assignment for pressure ulcers that are completely healed at the time of admission.
In contrast, if the pressure ulcer is documented as healing but not yet healed, the coder is to code the pressure ulcer to the appropriate pressure ulcer stage at the time of admission. Meaning, if the pressure ulcer was to the bone but improves during the stay to only include the depth of the subcutaneous tissue , the pressure ulcer is to be reported as a stage 4 pressure ulcer, not a stage 3.
If a pressure ulcer was present on admission and is healed at the time of discharge, the site and stage of the pressure ulcer at the time of admission should be reported. Remember, healed at the time of admission is the only time a pressure ulcer would not be reported, because it no longer exists.
- L89.126, pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left upper back
- L89.156, pressure-induced deep tissue damage of sacral region
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L899 Pressure Ulcer Of Unspecified Site
Pressure ulcer of unspecified site, unspecified stage
Pressure ulcer of unspecified site, stage 1
Pressure ulcer of unspecified site, stage 2
Pressure ulcer of unspecified site, stage 3
Pressure ulcer of unspecified site, stage 4
Pressure Ulcer Of Unspecified Site Stage 4
- 2016201720182019202020212022Billable/Specific Code
- L89.94 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
- The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM L89.94 became effective on October 1, 2021.
- This is the American ICD-10-CM version of L89.94 – other international versions of ICD-10 L89.94 may differ.
- Healing pressure ulcer of unspecified site, stage 4
- Pressure ulcer with necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone, unspecified site
- Applicable To annotations, or
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Lolita M Jones Mshs Rhia Ccs
Lolita M. Jones, MSHS, RHIA, CCS has provided Product Consultant services to a warehousing and analytics start-up that developed and marketed decision support software, health outcomes services, and regulatory compliance toolsets. Her goal is to combine her medical coding expertise with data mining-pattern recognition, to help improve data accuracy and compliance in medical coding and reimbursement . Ms. Jones also provides remote and on-site training/consulting in her newly developed Healthcare Data Mining Clinic educational series. She is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Data Analytics from a top university. Ms. Jones is based in New York and can be reached at