Q: You have a patient with a penetrating knife injury to the extremity that lacerates (only) the muscle. Should you use just the penetrating codes or muscle laceration under skin subcutaneous tissue. Is this a blunt or penetrating injury?

A:This is considered penetrating trauma and you would code penetrating trauma using the penetrating injuries section. If you look at the rule box above the skin subcutaneous muscle section it identifies that you should code blunt soft tissue injury in that section.