# Acute vs Chronic diagnosis coding.



## Gran1234 (Jan 18, 2015)

I need some clarification on Diagnosis Coding for Acute vs Chronic.  What is the rule?  If the patient has not had an injury, is it ever coded chronic. Ex:  Patient has leg pain for two months, with no acute injury.  Would this be coded as acute?


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## mitchellde (Jan 18, 2015)

Cheryl Ann Wright said:


> I need some clarification on Diagnosis Coding for Acute vs Chronic.  What is the rule?  If the patient has not had an injury, is it ever coded chronic. Ex:  Patient has leg pain for two months, with no acute injury.  Would this be coded as acute?



Read the coding guidelines for more indepth information but for pain the provider must document either acute or chronic to use a 338 code for pain other wise you just use the musculoskeletal code for pain in limb or pain in joint or low back pain etc.


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## MarcusM (Jan 19, 2015)

Usually, acute pain lasts less than 3 months, with chronic pain going beyond this time frame.  You can also have an acute pain flare up of a chronic pain condition like with a patient with chronic low back pain due to facet arthropathy with lumbar stenosis who lifted a heavy object and now has acute low pack pain due to a lumbar strain.


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## mitchellde (Jan 19, 2015)

MarcusM said:


> Usually, acute pain lasts less than 3 months, with chronic pain going beyond this time frame.  You can also have an acute pain flare up of a chronic pain condition like with a patient with chronic low back pain due to facet arthropathy with lumbar stenosis who lifted a heavy object and now has acute low pack pain due to a lumbar strain.



While that may be a rule of thumb, the coder cannot code acute or chronic pain without specific documentation from the provider .


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