Question

A 4 year-old is brought into the ED crying. He cannot bend his left arm after his older sister pulled it. The provider performs an X-ray and it shows the patient has Nursemaid's elbow. The ED provider reduces the elbow successfully. The patient can move his arm again after the reduction. What ICD-10-CM codes are reported?

Answer 1

The medical scenario asked about the correct ICD-10-CM code for a child diagnosed with Nursemaid's elbow, which would likely be S53.032.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to a medical scenario where a child has been diagnosed with Nursemaid's elbow, which is a common injury in young children where the radial head subluxation occurs, usually due to a pulling force on the extended arm. This is different from fractures such as supracondylar fractures or distal humerus fractures that are also associated with elbow injuries from falls or direct blows. In this case, the healthcare provider has successfully reduced the elbow, allowing the child to move their arm again. The appropriate ICD-10-CM codes for this case of Nursemaid's elbow, assuming there are no complications or other specific details provided, would likely be S53.032 for Dislocation of radial head, left elbow, initial encounter.