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L89.114

Pressure ulcer of right upper back, stage 4

Billable FY2026 2025-10-01 → 2026-09-30
Exclusions 15 never code together
L89code
Excludes2
L00-L99chapter
Excludes2
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)P04-P96
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)A00-B99
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)O00-O9A
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Q00-Q99
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)E00-E88
  • lipomelanotic reticulosis (I89.8)I89.8
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)C00-D49
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)R00-R94
  • systemic connective tissue disorders (M30-M36)M30-M36
  • viral warts (B07.-)B07.-

Excludes2 — not included here, but the patient may have both. Code both when documented.

Instructional notes 8
L89code
Includes
  • bed sore
  • decubitus ulcer
  • plaster ulcer
  • pressure area
  • pressure sore
Code first
  • any associated gangrene (I96)I96
Inclusion terms
  • Healing pressure ulcer of right upper back, stage 4
  • Pressure ulcer with necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone, right upper back
Official Guidelines 11 names this code

ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, quoted in full. Published by CMS and NCHS; in the public domain.

I.C.12 Chapter 12: Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue names this code p.58

(L00-L99)

I.C.12.a.1 Pressure ulcer stages names this code p.58

Codes in category L89, Pressure ulcer, identify the site and stage of the pressure ulcer. The ICD-10-CM classifies pressure ulcer stages based on severity, which is designated by stages 1-4, deep tissue pressure injury, unspecified stage, and unstageable. Assign as many codes from category L89 as needed to identify all the pressure ulcers the patient has, if applicable. See Section I.B.14. for pressure ulcer stage documentation by clinicians other than patient's provider.

I.C.12.a.2 Unstageable pressure ulcers names this code p.58

Assignment of the code for unstageable pressure ulcer (L89.--0) should be based on the clinical documentation. These codes are used for pressure ulcers whose stage cannot be clinically determined (e.g., the ulcer is covered by eschar or has been treated with a skin or muscle graft). This code should not be confused with the codes for unspecified stage (L89.--9). When there is no documentation regarding the stage of the pressure ulcer, assign the appropriate code for unspecified stage (L89.-- 9). If during an encounter, the stage of an unstageable pressure ulcer is revealed after debridement, assign only the code for the stage revealed following debridement.

I.C.12.a.7 Pressure-induced deep tissue damage names this code p.60

For pressure-induced deep tissue damage or deep tissue pressure injury, assign only the appropriate code for pressure-induced deep tissue damage (L89.--6).

I.C.12.a.3 Documented pressure ulcer stage chapter guidance p.59

Assignment of the pressure ulcer stage code should be guided by clinical documentation of the stage or documentation of the terms found in the Alphabetic Index. For clinical terms describing the stage that are not found in the Alphabetic Index, and there is no documentation of the stage, the provider should be queried.

I.C.12.a.4 Patients admitted with pressure ulcers documented as healed chapter guidance p.59

No code is assigned if the documentation states that the pressure ulcer is completely healed at the time of admission.

I.C.12.a.5 Pressure ulcers documented as healing chapter guidance p.59

Pressure ulcers described as healing should be assigned the appropriate pressure ulcer stage code based on the documentation in the medical record. If the documentation does not provide information about the stage of the healing pressure ulcer, assign the appropriate code for unspecified stage. If the documentation is unclear as to whether the patient has a current (new) pressure ulcer or if the patient is being treated for a healing pressure ulcer, query the provider. For ulcers that were present on admission but healed at the time of discharge, assign the code for the site and stage of the pressure ulcer at the time of admission.

I.C.12.a.6 Patient admitted with pressure ulcer evolving into another chapter guidance p.59

stage during the admission If a patient is admitted to an inpatient hospital with a pressure ulcer at one stage and it progresses to a higher stage, two separate codes should be assigned: one code for the site and stage of the ulcer on admission and a second code for the same ulcer site and the highest stage reported during the stay.

I.C.12.b.1 Patients admitted with non-pressure ulcers documented as chapter guidance p.60

healed No code is assigned if the documentation states that the non-pressure ulcer is completely healed at the time of admission.

I.C.12.b.2 Non-pressure ulcers documented as healing chapter guidance p.60

Non-pressure ulcers described as healing should be assigned the appropriate non-pressure ulcer code based on the documentation in the medical record. If the documentation does not provide information about the severity of the healing non-pressure ulcer, assign the appropriate code for unspecified severity. If the documentation is unclear as to whether the patient has a current (new) non-pressure ulcer or if the patient is being treated for a healing non-pressure ulcer, query the provider. For ulcers that were present on admission but healed at the time of discharge, assign the code for the site and severity of the non-pressure ulcer at the time of admission.

I.C.12.b.3 Patient admitted with non-pressure ulcer that progresses to another severity level during the admission chapter guidance p.60

If a patient is admitted to an inpatient hospital with a non-pressure ulcer at one severity level and it progresses to a higher severity level, two separate codes should be assigned: one code for the site and severity level of the ulcer on admission and a second code for the same ulcer site and the highest severity level reported during the stay. See Section I.B.14. for pressure ulcer stage documentation by clinicians other than patient's provider

Index entries leading here 1
  • Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative
    • pressure (pressure area) L89.9
      • back L89.1
      • stage 1 (healing) (pre-ulcer skin changes limited to persistent focal edema)
      • stage 2 (healing) (abrasion, blister, partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis and/or dermis)
      • stage 3 (healing) (full thickness skin loss involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue)
      • stage 4 (healing) (necrosis of soft tissues through to underlying muscle, tendon, or bone)
      • unspecified stage
      • unstageable
Alongside this code 6 same parent — L89.11
Medications 1

MED-RT files conditions by MeSH, which carves the world differently from ICD-10. These are name matches on this code's description, offered as candidates — not as an assertion that they are this code.

Additional references
AHA Coding Clinic® Licence required

Official coding advice for this code. Published by the American Hospital Association. Not included in this installation.

Risk adjustment

CMS22HCC157 CMS28HCC379 ESRD21HCC157 ESRD24HCC157

Presence is a property of the code. Untick a model to hide it everywhere.

This code

Billable
yes
Code set
FY2026
Parent
L89.11
Block
L80-L99
Siblings
6

Present FY2024–FY2027.