# Suppressive antibiotics for chronic infection of joint prosthesis



## bproosow (Jun 30, 2011)

I'm struggling with this.  The provider captured the infection (complication of the joint prosthesis), but there's no indication that the infection is still there.  The patient is on chronic suppressive antibiotics.  Do you keep capturing the infection, kind of like capturing active cancer when the patient is on adjuvant treatment?  Or is there a more appropriate code that I just haven't found yet?


----------



## preserene (Jun 30, 2011)

bproosow said:


> I'm struggling with this.  The provider captured the infection (complication of the joint prosthesis), but there's no indication that the infection is still there.  The patient is on chronic suppressive antibiotics.  Do you keep capturing the infection, kind of like capturing active cancer when the patient is on adjuvant treatment?  Or is there a more appropriate code that I just haven't found yet?



 Can we try these: V66.4  as primary, and V58.62  and V54.09 /or V54.81  following joint replacement or prosthesis .

*For your doubt about 'retained infection' I thnik this would give some information*: 

Infection of prosthetic joints represent a major cause of morbidity and mobility of the joints
Antibiotic suppressive therapy for retained joints  is a medical management of prosthetic joint infections and  variability in the duration of suppressive antibiotics recommended- for supporting life long suppression, YES, like neoplastic suppression therapy in cancer therapy.

Suppressive regimen of prolonged antibiotics for this purpose of  biocontrol or biological control suppression on chronic conditions, like cotrimozazole  in chronic UTI for years, chronic osteomylitis etc., are suppressive antibiotics- a sort of similar kind of regimen for immune suppression antibiotics in neoplasm-Antineoplastic antibiotics.
 Hope this helps you


----------



## bproosow (Jun 30, 2011)

Thanks for the reply! In this case, I believe V54.81 (aftercare following joint replacement), V58.62 (long-term antibiotics) and the appropriate V code for the prosthetic joint captures the scenario more accurately than what the provider had captured.  

Coding clinic talks about long-term antibiotic use for recurrent otitis media.  They say to use the V codes unless there is a current infection at that particular encounter (in which you would use the acute code).

Your assistance is much appreciated.


----------

