S82.312A (Torus fracture of lower end of left tibia, initial encounter for closed fracture)
compared with
S82.312P (Torus fracture of lower end of left tibia, subsequent encounter for fracture with malunion),
from the official CMS tabular data. S82.312A and S82.312P code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.
Torus fracture of lower end of left tibia, subsequent encounter for fracture with malunion
Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.
The 7th character records the phase of care for the encounter being coded, so a single encounter takes one of these characters, not several. Review whether both phases belong on the same episode of care.
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a
Can these codes be reported together?
Same injury, other encounter phase. S82.312A and S82.312P code the same injury at a different phase of treatment, set by the 7th character.
The 7th character records the type of care given at the encounter being coded (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a), so one encounter takes one of these, not both.