DC 7114: Peripheral arterial disease is the thickening and hardening of the tissues of a vessel that causes the vessel to narrow and develop blood clots. This condition most often affects the aortic artery in the abdomen and the small or medium vessels in the legs. All symptoms remaining after an aortic bypass surgery or a large arterial bypass surgery are rated under this code.
DC 7115: Thrombo-angiitis obliterans (or “Buerger’s Disease”) is a disease where the blood vessels of the hands or feet become blocked due to the build-up of plaque. It is mostly associated with the use of tobacco products. It causes pain and swelling in the hands and feet and could result in necessary amputation.
<aside> 🎶 Note: Trophic changes include thinning of the skin, skin atrophy, hair loss, tears in the skin, fingernail deformities, etc.
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DC 7124: Primary Raynaud’s (a.k.a. “Raynaud’s Disease”) is a condition that causes the blood vessels in the fingers and toes (and sometimes the nose, ears, lips, etc.) to narrow and restrict blood flow when the person is stressed, emotionally upset, or cold. Primary Raynaud’s (unlike Secondary Raynaud’s, code 7117) has no underlying causes. Only one rating can be given under this code, regardless of the number of body parts affected.
DC 7117: Secondary Raynaud’s (a.k.a. “Raynaud’s Phenomenon” or “Raynaud’s Syndrome“) is a condition that causes periods of severely restricted blood flow to areas of the body, most commonly the fingers and toes. Depending on how long these periods last, the damage to the affected areas could lead to amputation. Unlike Primary Raynaud’s, code 7124, Secondary Raynaud’s is the result of an underlying cause, like other medical conditions, medications, repetitive vibrations, smoking, etc. Because of this, its attacks are usually more severe than Primary Raynaud’s. Regardless of the number of body parts affected, only one rating is given for this condition as a whole.
DC 7119: Erythromelalgia is a disorder that causes the blood vessels in the legs or hands to be periodically blocked, often on and off daily. This can cause swelling, redness, and pain. A “characteristic attack” consists of burning pain in the hands or feet with redness and heat. The symptoms normally occur equally in both hands or both feet at the same time. Regardless of how many areas are affected, only one rating is given for this condition as a whole.
<aside> 🎶 “Characteristic attacks” include color changes to the affected areas, sometimes with pain and tingling, that could last minutes or hours.
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<aside> 🎶 Note: Widespread pain means pain in both the left and right sides of the body, that is both above and below the waist, and that affects both the axial skeleton (i.e., cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine, or low back) and the extremities.
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