# Uti - If a patient has urinary



## lgiusti (Feb 12, 2016)

If a patient has urinary symptoms, Doc does dip stick. Rx antibiotic. Culture pending. Provider documents UTI and codes : N39.0 no bacteria identified
Is this coded as signs and symptoms until culture results?


----------



## CodingKing (Feb 12, 2016)

I'd probably hold off until the lab result. I assume you would need to positive lab result to code as UTI.


----------



## mitchellde (Feb 13, 2016)

If the provider diagnosis an infection or infective condition based on the presenting symptoms the you code the diagnosis.  This has been covered in several past coding clinics. You do not need a culture report to code a UTI, you just will not have an organism to report. This is one instance where an unspecified code choice is appropriate.  So if the provider states that it is a UTI then you code N39.0.  If he states possible then of course you use the symptoms.


----------



## lgiusti (Feb 14, 2016)

*UTI N39.0 organism unknown*

Thank you everyone. I agree Debra. Thank you for the clarification. How do you bypass CCE edit N39.0, code organism? Is there an unspecified bacteria code? 
Much appreciated!!


----------



## mitchellde (Feb 14, 2016)

There should not be an edit, and no you cannot code unknown bacteria.  It has long been accepted that the code for UTI unspecified can be used as a stand alone code.  As I stated there are several coding clinics for ICD-9 CM that support this and it has not changed with the change to ICD-10 CM.


----------



## michelleaapc2012 (Mar 25, 2016)

We don't use the unspecified uti code. We code the symptom, dysuria, frequency, etc.


----------

