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External Bruise S003
In this section
Current RMA Instruments
Reasonable Hypothesis SOP | 5 of 2016 |
Balance of Probabilities SOP | 6 of 2016 |
Changes from previous Instruments
ICD Coding
ICD-10-AM Codes: H11.3, S00, S20, S30, S40, S50, S60, S70, S80, S90, T11.05, T13.05, T14.05
Brief description
An external bruise is a bruise / contusion / haematoma visible on the surface of the body, i.e. in the skin or subcutaneous tissues or the conjuctiva or sclera of the eye.
Confirming the diagnosis
The diagnosis can be made, based on the clinical appearance, by any medical practitioner.
Diagnoses covered by these SOPs
- Conjunctival (subconjuctival) haemorrhage
- Contusion of skin or subcutaneous tissues
- Haematoma of skin or subcutaneous tissues
- Scleral haemorrhage (of the eye)
Conditions not covered by these SOPs
- Bleeding/haematoma in an internal organ or structure (including muscle).
Clinical onset
Clinical onset wil be within a short time (minutes to hours) after the trauma to the site that has caused the bruise.
Clinical worsening
External bruises typically resolve completely within weeks. Larger bruises may take longer to heal and may require drainage. Calcification of bruises with longer term consequences can occur with a deep bruise but generally not with an external (superficial) bruise.