Hollow Mistakes, Solid Fixes: Mastering Organ Injury Coding-Video: Hollow Mistakes, Solid Fixes: Mastering Organ Injury Coding

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, led by Robin, an expert in trauma registry operations, focused on mastering coding for solid and hollow organ injuries using ICD-10-CM and PCS systems. Robin began by distinguishing hollow organs (e.g., stomach, intestines, bladder) that have internal cavities from solid organs (e.g., liver, spleen, kidneys) with dense structures. She reviewed mechanisms causing these injuries such as blunt trauma, penetrating injuries, and blast injuries, clarifying that “blast” refers to explosions, not gunshot wounds.<br /><br />Hollow organ injuries often involve rupture, perforation, or laceration, risking contamination and infection, while solid organ injuries—such as liver or spleen lacerations or hematomas—may cause internal bleeding. Signs and symptoms overlap, including abdominal pain, tenderness, distension, and systemic signs like hypotension and rapid pulse.<br /><br />Diagnosis utilizes exams, imaging (FAST, CT scans), labs, and sometimes surgery. Most solid organ injuries can be managed non-operatively if stable, with interventional radiology embolization as an option, whereas hollow organ injuries usually require surgery.<br /><br />Coding complexity arises because ICD-10 and AIS are separate systems with different levels of specificity. Accurate coding depends on validating injury details (severity, location, laterality) and procedure types (excision vs. resection, repair). Common procedures include exploratory laparotomy, angiography, embolization, laparoscopy, and thoracotomy. The webinar concluded with quiz questions and a Q&A emphasizing best practices in coding verification and clinical documentation for trauma registries.

Keywords

trauma registry

ICD-10-CM coding

solid organ injury

hollow organ injury

blunt trauma

penetrating injury

blast injury

interventional radiology embolization

clinical documentation