A: This is impossible to answer correctly unless you have a little more information. The internal carotid artery can be coded under HEAD 121004.4 if the occlusion occurs in that portion of the artery, or under NECK 320220.3 if the occlusion occurs lower. This question illustrates the importance of knowing exactly where the injury occurs when a structure traverses more than one body region. The coder must delve deeper into the chart to locate and code the injury properly.
