As you know, Thanksgiving holiday celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest. Every year, Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November. This year, the day is on Thursday, November 25. This is the time for delicious foods, get-togethers and parties with family and friends, and backyard football games. But there’s also a greater risk of injuries from such activities. Thanksgiving poses injury risks from car accidents, house fires, cooking burns and cuts, slip-and-falls, and heart attacks. Often, people rely on emergency rooms to get urgent care for such concerns. Busy medical practices can consider medical coding outsourcing to submit error-free medical claims to insurers, on time.
ICD-10 Codes for Common Thanksgiving Related Injuries
- Food poisoning
- A05.0 Foodborne staphylococcal intoxication
Consumption of left-over food could cause issues, as it will grow bacteria even after reheating. There are increased chances that the food might not get properly cooked in the first place. Practicing safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage helps prevent food-borne illnesses. USDA Food Safety guidelines recommend discarding any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature was above 90 °F).
- Overexertion
- X50 Overexertion and strenuous or repetitive movements
Too much physical activities during such a festive occasion can cause overexertion inflammation, leading to pain and discomfort. Overexertion injuries most commonly affect the neck and back, often contributing to chronic pain in the upper and lower back. Taking frequent breaks during games and drinking plenty of water can help avoid overexertion.
- Fire and burns
- X10 Contact with hot drinks, food, fats and cooking oils
Burns are bound to happen, when cooking without proper precautions. Pay close attention when cooking turkey and other food. Never leave ovens and stoves unattended. Having a fire extinguisher handy can restrain the flames before they get out of control. Never keep flammable items near the stove or oven. When deep frying, turkey – wet or partially frozen – can catch fire or even explode, causing burns. Too many cooks in the kitchen can also contribute to accidental burns.
- Car accidents
- V89 Motor- or nonmotor-vehicle accident, type of vehicle unspecified
Drunken driving accidents peak during the Thanksgiving holiday season. Alcohol consumption is common during holidays and is a major contributing factor to motor-vehicle crashes. Some even travel to more than one place to enjoy multiple meals. Alcohol-impaired driving can lead to crashes and injuries. It is ideal to avoid high traffic times, if possible and avoid driving, if drunk.
- Sports injuries
- W21.01 Struck by football
Most families enjoy playing a little backyard football during this day. Such sports can also lead to knee injuries, ankle or finger injuries, sprains and strains, hand and finger fracture. Often orthopedic doctors recommend sports rehabilitation programs to help recover from such sports injuries.
- Carving Injuries
- W29.1 Contact with electric knife
Cuts from carving turkeys are a common injury on Thanksgiving Day. Carving turkey using electric or other knife requires caution. Any distractions can lead to injuries or finger laceration. Keeping the cutting surface dry will prevent the bird from slipping while chopping. Using a sharp knife carefully can prevent most accidents.
- Slip and Fall Injuries
- W01 Fall on same level from slipping, tripping and stumbling
Slips and falls can occur, if there are more people in the home than usual or with more activities in the kitchen. Slips and falls can lead to fractures, concussion, spinal injuries, knee injuries or more.
- Injuries at a shopping mall
- Y92.513 Shop (commercial) as the place of occurrence of the external cause
There will be more shoppers in malls to compete with than ever to grab more offers. Slip and fall accidents are common at stores due to spills, uneven floor surfaces, poor lighting, or failure to maintain the space. To prevent injuries at stores, measures must be in place to quickly attend to spills and lessen the amount of crowded spaces.
- Heartburn and indigestion
- R12 Heartburn
Overeating certain foods or drinks with a high amount of spice, acid or caffeine can cause heartburn or indigestion. To enjoy the holiday meal and to prevent heartburn or other digestion issues, consider eating smaller and more frequent meals.
- Heart attacks and strokes
- G46.3 Brain stem stroke syndrome
Rich meals and drinking too much alcohol during the Thanksgiving holidays along with stress during travelling and cold temperatures can lead to many health issues. Any strain on the blood vessels can cause the blood pressure to rise, which could contribute to heart issues.
Taking certain precautions can reduce the risks of these incidents to a great extent. To get reimbursement on time, providers can depend on companies providing reliable medical coding services. Professional outsourcing companies will be prepared to help providers report the right diagnosis codes on their medical claims.
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