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?

Answer 1

The principal diagnosis code would likely prioritize the major right femoral artery laceration due to the immediate life-threatening condition it presents, requiring emergency surgical intervention.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principal diagnosis in this scenario would likely be the major laceration of the right femoral artery due to its immediate threat to the patient's life requiring emergency surgery. While the type IIIC fracture of the neck of the right femur is also serious, the femoral artery injury takes precedence as it is a critical condition that needs to be addressed to prevent massive hemorrhage and possible death.

The femoral artery is a major blood vessel that can result in severe bleeding when injured. A type IIIC fracture is a severe fracture involving bone exposure and arterial injury, typically requiring surgical intervention. Emergency treatment priorities dictate that life-threatening conditions, such as arterial lacerations, are addressed before orthopedic injuries, regardless of the potential long-term outcomes associated with the fractures.