Question

A patient is admitted after a car accident in which she was the driver of the vehicle. She was ejected from the car and run over by a truck, sustaining a major laceration of the right femoral artery in the right inguinal region, and a type IIIC fracture of the neck of the right femur. She is taken immediately to the operating room to repair the artery laceration. Which diagnosis code is assigned as the principal diagnosis in this scenario?

A. S72.002A
B. S75.021A
C. V54.2XXA
D. W23.0XXA

Answer 1

The principal diagnosis code assigned in this scenario is S75.021A, which represents the major laceration of the right femoral artery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principal diagnosis code assigned in this scenario would be S75.021A.

To determine the principal diagnosis, we look for the condition that necessitated the patient's admission and required the most resources and time during the hospital stay. In this case, the major laceration of the right femoral artery is a severe and life-threatening injury that requires immediate intervention and surgical repair.

The other codes listed are not appropriate as the principal diagnosis because they do not represent the primary reason for the patient's admission. For example, code S72.002A represents a fracture of the proximal femur, but the laceration of the femoral artery takes precedence in terms of severity and urgency.