T31.44

Billable

Burns involving 40-49% of body surface with 40-49% third degree burns

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 385 — Severe Skin Burn or Condition

0.350

V24HCC 162 — Severe Skin Burn or Condition

0.517

ESRDHCC 162 — Severe Skin Burn or Condition

0.000

What This Code Means

Critical burns covering 40-49% of the body surface with 40-49% deep tissue damage (third degree burns). This represents the most severe scenario in this category with nearly complete full-thickness involvement of the affected area.

Coding Tips

•This code indicates the highest severity within the 40-49% total body surface area range
•Document clearly that the percentage of third-degree burns equals the total body surface area percentage

Clinical Significance

This represents a life-threatening burn injury with extensive body surface involvement and significant full-thickness tissue destruction. These patients require immediate specialized burn center care with intensive monitoring for complications including fluid shifts, infection, and multi-organ failure.

Documentation Requirements

✓Total body surface area (TBSA) percentage between 40-49%
✓Third-degree burn percentage between 40-49% of total body surface
✓Anatomical locations of burns specified
✓Mechanism of injury documented
✓Rule of nines or Lund-Browder chart calculation
✓Depth assessment of burns (first, second, third degree)
✓Associated complications if present
✓Transfer to burn center if applicable

Commonly Confused Codes

T31.43 — Only 30-39% third-degree burns versus 40-49%T31.54 — Total body surface 50-59% versus 40-49%T20-T25 — Site-specific burn codes versus total body calculation T32.44 — Corrosion versus burn etiology T31.40 — Less than 10% third-degree versus 40-49% third-degree

Code Hierarchy

└T31Burns classified according to extent of body surface involved └T31.4Burns involving 40-49% of body surface └T31.44Burns involving 40-49% of body surface with 40-49% third degree burns

└T31.44Burns involving 40-49% of body surface with 40-49% third degree burns