REVIEW OF CODING CLINIC 1ST AND 2ND QUARTER 2011Stephanie Carlisto, RHIT, CCS

BORDERLINE DIABETES MELLITUS AND BORDERLINE DIAGNOSESHow do you code a diagnosis

of borderline diabetes?

Code should be based on information in the chart. Physician may need to be queried but without any confirmation, assign a code of 790.2, abnormal glucose.

Borderline diagnoses

Advice for example of pulmonary hypertension is to, as with diabetes, depending on the documentation on the chart as to whether to code it, or query the physician.

CHRONIC ANEMIA

Coding clinics advice regarding how to code “chronic anemia” is to code it to 285.9, Anemia, unspecified.

Broken catheter tip retrieved via thrombectomy

The question asked pertains to how to code a broken catheter tip that occurred during an aspiration of a thrombus. In the question posed, the broken tip was removed.

Advice is to assign code 996.1, Mechanical complication of other vascular device, implant, and graft. However, if it cannot be removed, you would assign 996.1 and 998.4, Foreign body accidentally left during a procedure.

Chest radiograph showing the embolized catheter fragment (black arrowheads) lodged in the left pulmonary artery.

Thanigaraj S et al. Chest 2000;117:1209-1211

©2000 by American College of Chest Physicians

Broken needle left during surgery

The example given here was a needle that was lost within the tissue during an aortic valve replacement. After evaluation and a second attempt to retrieve the needle, the surgeon decided it was in the patient’s best interest to leave it alone. As removing it could cause more harm.

Advice is to code 998.4, Foreign body accidentally left during a procedure. Though it was decided to leave the needle in, it was not the intent of the original procedure to leave a foreign body behind.

CHRONIC DEEP VENOUS EMOBISM AND THROMBOSIS

The question here is when does

a venous thrombosis become

chronic?

The answer given is that there are no

specific timelines regarding this and

assignment of chronic DVT should be

based on the providers documentation.

CHRONIC VENOUS EMBOLISM AND THROMBOSIS

Should a patient with a history of DVT receiving Coumadin be coded to a history of DVT V12.51, or 453 category for chronic DVT?

Query for clarification whether Coumadin is being given prophylactically to prevent a recurrence of the DVT or as treatment for a chronic DVT.

CHRONIC VENOUS EMBOLISM AND THROMBOSIS

Reference is made to the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, “Personal history codes explain a patient’s past medical condition that no longer exists and is not receiving any treatment, but that has the potential for recurrence, and therefore may require monitoring.”

CODE ASSIGNMENT BASED ON UP AND DOWN ARROWS

Advice from Coding Clinic regarding up and down arrows applies to both inpatient and outpatient admissions.

It is not appropriate to report a diagnosis based on up and down arrows. Rational being, they do not necessarily mean “abnormal.” They may just be indicating a change. If findings on chart warrant a query, then query the provider.

DISSECTION OF ARTERY OCCURRING DURING CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

When a dissection occurs during a PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention), and the physician documents it as a complication, code it to 997.1 Cardiac complications, and assign code 414.12 Dissection of coronary artery to further describe the complication.

GASTRIC BAND EROSION WITH INFECTION

—25-year-old woman presented for re-inflation of band placed 5 years ago. While inflating band, patient experienced acute pain. CT scan

and endoscopy show band partially inside gastric lumen.

Mehanna M J et al. AJR 2006;186:522-534

©2006 by American Roentgen Ray Society

IATROGENIC PNEUMOTHORAX

The question is, “does the provider need to document a pneumothorax is a complication before you can assign 512.1?”

Coding Clinic’s response is, it must be documented as a complication in order to code it as one, or stated as “Iatrogenic.”

The guideline for complications extends to any complications of care, regardless of the chapter the code is located in.

PANCYTOPENIA DUE TO DRUGS

When documentation in the chart states “pancytopenia due to chemotherapy” assign code 284.89, Other specified aplastic anemias, along with the appropriate E-code to identify the drug.

This answer is based on the instructional note under code 284.1 which states that drug induced pancytopenia is classified to code 284.89

LAPAROSCOPICALLY-ASSISTED HEMICOLECTOMY

When a hemicolectomy is performed with laparoscopic assistance, code V64.41, Laparoscopic surgical procedure converted to open procedure would not be appropriate to code.

Rationale is it was a planned laparoscopic-assisted surgery.

Correct code assignment would be 45.73, Open and other right hemicolectomy

POSTOPERATIVE ASPIRATION PNEUMONIA

When there is a diagnosis of postoperative aspiration pneumonia it is appropriate to code both the respiratory complication code and the aspiration pneumonia code.

997.39 Respiratory Complications and 507.0 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids, Due to inhalation of food or vomitus.

POSTOPERATIVE HEMORRHAGE AND POSTOPERATIVE HEMATOMA

Before coding any postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma as a complication of care, it must be explicitly documented by the physician that the condition is a complication.

Once again, if the indications on the chart are that the hemorrhage or hematoma required clinical evaluation, therapeutic treatment, diagnostic procedures, or increased nursing care and/or monitoring it is appropriate to query the provider.

ACUTE RENAL FAILURE AND END STAGE RENAL DISEASEAcute renal failure and end stage renal disease (ESRD) can occur during the same hospital encounter with the presence of trauma, adverse effects of medication, infection, volume depletion or whatever may cause the kidneys to stop functioning.

It is appropriate to code both if they are documented.

BACTEREMIA DUE TO PICC LINEANNULAR DISC TEAR EMBOLIZATION OF GASTRODUODENAL ARTERY WITH COILS

Any tear to the annular portion of a vertebral disc is coded as degeneration whether documented as traumatic or non traumatic

Assign code 44.44 transcatheter embolization for gastric or duodenal bleeding

Code reason for encounter (pdx) and then bacteremia due to PICC line as secondary diagnoses also code the type of bacteria if documented

999.31 Infection due to central venous catheter

790.7 Bacteremia

041.19 Other Staphylococcus

CYSTOCELE REPAIR W/MESH AND RECTOCELE REPAIR W/SUTURES

When one repair is done with mesh and the other done with sutures, it is appropriate to use 2 codes to describe what was done.

70.52 Repair of rectocele

70.54 Repair of cystocele with graft or prosthesis

DYNESYS DYNAMIC STABILIZATION DEVICE WITH FUSION

EXCISIONAL DEBRIDEMENT OF BUTTOCK ABSCESS

Documentation in this example is an incision being made into the abscess and stating it was “extensively excised.”

Direction is to code 86.22, Excisional debridement of wound, infection, or burn.

The incision in this example being an important component to the definitive procedure which is the excisional debridement.

MAPPING AND ABLATION OF ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA VIA TRANSEPTAL APPROACH

The approach does not play a part in assignment of the codes for this procedure.

Code 37.34, Catheter ablation of lesion or tissue of heart for the ablation

37.26, Cardiac electrophysiologic stimulation and recording studies

37.27, Cardiac mapping

THROMBOSIS OF FEMORAL POPITEAL BYPASS GRAFT

To describe this condition it is appropriate to use 2 codes

996.74, Other complications of internal (biological) (synthetic) prosthetic device, implant, and graft, Due to other vascular device, implant and graft

444.22, Arterial embolism and thrombosis, Lower extremity

PROPHYLACTIC BILATERAL MASTECTOMY DUE TO POSITIVE BRCA MUTATION

Assign code V50.41, Prophylactic organ removal, Breast as principal diagnosis

And V84.01, Genetic susceptibility to malignant neoplasm of breast

If patient has a history of breast cancer, assign code V10.3, Personal history of malignant neoplasm, breast

MEDICAL MARIJUANAMETHADONE MAINTENANCE

Assign code V58.69, Long-term use of other medications, for marijuana taken for medicinal purposes.

Assign code 304.00, Opioid type dependence, unspecified for patients who are on methadone maintenance because of heroin addiction.

PERINATAL PERIOD

The perinatal period ends on the 29th day of life. The day of birth is counted as “0” days.

HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT’S COMING FOR 3RD AND 4TH QUARTER

Aftercare following organ transplant versus follow-up following surgery

Assignment of code 779.89 for newborn (perinatal) conditions

Bronchial biopsy versus lung biopsy

Failed transbronchial lung biopsy

Clinical significance of obesity and coding of BMI

Correct application of nonessential modifiers

Acute kidney injury, diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease, stage III

Lupus nephritis and acute renal failure

Sepsis with an underlying localized infection

Plus, highlights of FAQs from FY 2012 code changes

 

QUESTIONS?