CMS in its latest quarterly OASIS Q&As provided agencies with additional guidance about how to capture a graft on M1340 (Surgical wound).
In Question 8 of the July Q&As, one agency asked whether burn wounds that have been surgically grafted are considered surgical wounds even if the graft fails.
In its response, CMS states: “For OASIS coding purposes, when any type of ulcer or burn is treated with any kind of graft or flap, it is considered a surgical wound for M1340 until approximately 30 days after complete re-epithelialization.”
“From what I’ve seen in the industry, flaps, surgical wounds and pressure ulcers are misunderstood and people struggle with when it becomes a surgical wound,” says Jessica Cook, coding and OASIS manager with King of Prussia, Pa.-based BlackTree Healthcare Consulting.
Cook recommends OASIS reviewers get a refresher on the guidance around how to treat flaps and grafts.