# post transplant diabetes mellitus



## paigebatten (Jun 6, 2011)

If you have a pt with PTDM do you code it as a complication of the transplant?  Snd is the diabetes secondary?  Not sure what to do here.


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## terribrown (Jun 6, 2011)

If that is all the information the physician documented, you need to go back and ask for more. What is the transplanted organ? Did the patient have DM before the transplant? IF the transplanted organ is the pancreas, is the pancreas producing insulin but the body is not absorbing it? Is the patient rejecting the transplant? Is the pancreas not producing insulin and then the doctor is stating the transplant has failed? A condition as multi-faceted as this needs more information provided to make the correct coding assignment.


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## paigebatten (Jun 6, 2011)

It was a kidney transplant and they did not have DM prior to the transplant, and there is no mention of rejection.


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## terribrown (Jun 6, 2011)

I have not found one definitive cause for PTDM; various factors could be age, ethnicity, deceased donor, obesity and/or drug use. Without the link as to WHAT caused the complication, I'd be learly of assigning a complication code based on the guidelines for 996.81 (Complication of transplanted organ, kidney). However, PTDM is considered a secondary DM because of an event (the transplant) that caused the onset, so a code from 249.xx would be appropriate.


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## paigebatten (Jun 6, 2011)

Ok that makes perfect sense. Thanks for your help.


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