L89.43
BillablePressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 3
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 381 — Pressure Ulcer of Skin, Unstageable/Unspecified
0.000V24HCC 158 — Pressure Ulcer of Skin with Full Thickness Skin Loss
0.662ESRDHCC 158 — Pressure Ulcer of Skin with Full Thickness Skin Loss
0.000What This Code Means
A severe pressure wound (bedsore) affecting the lower back, buttocks, or hip area where the skin and underlying tissue are damaged but the deepest layers remain intact.
Coding Tips
- •Verify stage 3 documentation confirms full-thickness skin loss with exposed fat but no muscle/bone involvement
- •Ensure the pressure ulcer location is documented as affecting contiguous (connected) sites of back, buttock, and hip
Clinical Significance
Stage 3 pressure ulcers of the contiguous site of back, buttock, and hip represent full-thickness skin loss spanning multiple connected anatomical areas. This extensive wound pattern indicates severe and prolonged pressure exposure, often seen in patients with profound immobility and nutritional deficiency. The multi-site involvement creates extraordinary wound management challenges and carries significant clinical complexity.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation that the pressure ulcer spans contiguous areas of back, buttock, and hip
- ✓Stage explicitly documented as stage 3
- ✓Complete wound dimensions across all involved areas
- ✓Wound bed characteristics including depth at various points
- ✓Undermining or tunneling at each involved area
- ✓Drainage characteristics
- ✓Infection assessment across the entire wound
- ✓Nutritional status and intervention plan
- ✓Specialized wound care plan for multi-site management
- ✓Support surface and positioning protocol
Commonly Confused Codes
Code Hierarchy
└L89Pressure ulcer└L89.4Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip└L89.43Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 3
└L89.43Pressure ulcer of contiguous site of back, buttock and hip, stage 3