# mva accident coding question



## lnakshun (Feb 24, 2012)

Hi, new coder,just starting, could somebody answer what admitting  icd9 code should be for mva accident, chief complaint is: pain in head,neck,upper back,shoulder? Thanks a lot


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## mitchellde (Feb 24, 2012)

if the provider documents the patient has acute pain you can use the 338.1x code for acute pain due to trauma, followed by the site specific pain codes followed by the E code for the auto accident.


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## lnakshun (Feb 24, 2012)

thank you, but it doesn't say acute,it say exactly as I stated above, what about 339.20?


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## mitchellde (Feb 24, 2012)

no not with what you have listed above.  The only thing you have then is the site pain codes and E code for the accident.


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## lnakshun (Feb 25, 2012)

thanks so much again. i did the E code already,that wasn't hard but for admit dx I have to put one dx code, right, but patient has 3-4 sites of pain,looks like there is no code for all sites in one, so how do I code this?


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## mitchellde (Feb 26, 2012)

You will just have to pick one, is there anything else as to why an admit?  It does not seem as though you have much in the way of medical necessity for inpatient status.


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## lnakshun (Feb 26, 2012)

No ,this is outpatient hospital side, in 3m encoder we have to put admit dx then reason for visit dx which should be the same with admit dx and prim dx which is discharde. I was thinking should I put just one pain site like a headache 784.0 or like you said in the beginning 338.1x? Thanks so much


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## mitchellde (Feb 26, 2012)

Ah I know what you are talking about now.  No you cannot use the 338.1x code as it is not documented for.  We had IT change the grouper in 3M to APC for the outpatient side and it eliminated the admitting dx issue.  SO until then you just use the most intensive dx as the admitting and principle.


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## lnakshun (Feb 26, 2012)

Thanks so much for your help! I'll try that & see how it goes.


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