T31.71

Billable

Burns involving 70-79% of body surface with 10-19% 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

Extensive burns covering 70-79% of the body surface with 10-19% being third-degree burns that destroy all skin layers.

Coding Tips

•Clearly document the distinction between total BSA affected (70-79%) and the portion that is full-thickness (10-19%)
•These massive burn injuries require burn center admission and specialized wound care documentation

Clinical Significance

This code represents a life-threatening burn with extensive body surface involvement covering most of the body with moderate full-thickness component. These patients require immediate burn center management with intensive monitoring for multi-organ complications.

Documentation Requirements

✓Total body surface area (TBSA) documented as 70-79%
✓Third-degree burns comprising 10-19% of body surface
✓Standardized burn assessment methodology documentation
✓Complete anatomical burn distribution mapping
✓Burn mechanism and etiology clearly specified
✓Comprehensive burn depth evaluation
✓Initial resuscitation and treatment response
✓Burn center transfer decisions and protocols

Commonly Confused Codes

T31.61 — Total TBSA 60-69% versus 70-79%T31.72 — 20-29% third-degree versus 10-19% third-degree T31.81 — Total TBSA 80-89% versus 70-79%T32.71 — Corrosion versus burn mechanism T31.70 — Less than 10% third-degree versus 10-19%