Paralysis of the upper right arm; left-handed.

Paralysis of the upper right arm; left-handed.

• A. G83.0
• B. G83.29
• C. G83.23
• D. G82.83

Answer: (C)

Understanding how to code paralysis involves identifying the exact distribution and the side affected. When paralysis involves only a single limb, it’s monoplegia, and the code chosen must specify both that it’s an upper limb and which side is paralyzed. In this case, the paralysis is confined to the upper right arm, so the code that encodes monoplegia of the upper limb on the right side is used. Handedness doesn’t change this coding decision—the important detail is which limb is affected. The other codes describe different patterns (paralysis of more than one limb, lower limbs, or different paralytic syndromes) and don’t match the single-right-arm involvement. So the code that precisely represents monoplegia of the right upper limb is the best fit.

Understanding how to code paralysis involves identifying the exact distribution and the side affected. When paralysis involves only a single limb, it’s monoplegia, and the code chosen must specify both that it’s an upper limb and which side is paralyzed. In this case, the paralysis is confined to the upper right arm, so the code that encodes monoplegia of the upper limb on the right side is used. Handedness doesn’t change this coding decision—the important detail is which limb is affected. The other codes describe different patterns (paralysis of more than one limb, lower limbs, or different paralytic syndromes) and don’t match the single-right-arm involvement. So the code that precisely represents monoplegia of the right upper limb is the best fit.