Focus on Screening Codes
Christine Geiger, MA, RHIA, CCS, CRC
March 2, 2026
Now’s the time for to us to schedule those mammograms and colonoscopies we may have been putting off, but it is also a good time
With Thanksgiving later this week, now is a good time to revisit some codes and coding guidance for which we are thankful for.
Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when we think about Thanksgiving is turkey! Maybe you serve yours roasted or smoked. Our Thanksgiving contact with turkey generally involves eating it.
However, if you were to have an injury due to contact with a live turkey, we have a code for that. W61.4 is where we would look for contact with turkey. W61.42 would be used to identify injuries caused by being struck by a turkey.
W61.43 would be assigned for injuries caused by being pecked by a turkey. There is also W61.49 for other contact with turkey, whatever that might be. These W61.4 codes all would include 7th characters A, D or S to identify the episode of care for that turkey related injury.
Maybe you deep fry your turkey…it is delicious but can also be dangerous if you aren’t careful. We have code X10.2 for contact with fats and cooking oils. This would include peanut oil which is commonly used to deep fry turkey. This would be assigned as the external cause of whatever injury may occur from a turkey frying misadventure, most likely a burn.
Priceofmeat.com gives some interesting turkey frying statistics. It notes deep frying is the leading cause of cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day with serious fryer accidents causing 60 injuries and five deaths each year on average. The average cost of damage from a turkey fryer fire is around $15,000, with a total $15 million in property damage every year. Texas has the most deep fryer accidents occurring on Thanksgiving Day, followed by Florida and New York.
Lastly, 64 percent of turkey fryer related fatalities occur between 6 pm and 9 am, noting this is when people leave those fryers unattended. Remember when trying to extinguish a turkey fryer fire don’t use a hose, instead make sure you have a fire extinguisher at the ready.
However you choose to cook your turkey, once done it will need to be carved. Code W29.1 is for Contact with electric knife. For many of us this is the tool of choice. If you prefer to use a non -electric knife, no worry, W26.0 Contact with knife will be assigned for those non powered cutting utensils.
There is an Excludes 1 note here for W29.1 that contact with electric knife. Both W29.1 and W26.0 will have 7th character extensions of A, D or S to identify the episode of care. In an article posted last week, Consumer Affairs notes some helpful turkey carving safety reminders from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). They remind us to make sure our cutting board is secure and steady prior to carving. Also, make sure the knife is sharp and well maintained and remember to cut away from your body.
Use a large fork or other carving tool to stabilize the turkey while slicing. Finally, they remind us not to multitask. Don’t use your phone or check on the football score while carving the turkey – stay focused on the task at hand. They note that some of the carving mistakes can lead to injuries involving tendons, nerves or even arteries. Here’s hoping you and yours have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving Day!
Now’s the time for to us to schedule those mammograms and colonoscopies we may have been putting off, but it is also a good time
Today is Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday.” It is the last day before lent starts tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. This got me thinking
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