# trauma due to death of a family member



## dmirande_fhc (May 12, 2009)

I have a patient who was seen in our office for anxiety due to the tragic death of his fiance's son due to a train accident. The patient is seeking relief. The Dr. coded the visit as 300.00 anxiety. I feel there is more to be coded such as the reason for the anxiety, but I am unable to locate the code(s) I am looking for.Can anyone help. Thank you


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## msmatiste (May 12, 2009)

*Trauma due to death in the family*

The following codes may be what you're looking for.  But first, run them by the physician.  This information was provided by: Ingenix's 2009 Expert
ICD-9-CM for Hospitals - Volumes 1, 2 & 3 

1) Code 309.0 -  Description: Adjustment disorder with depressed mood - Grief Reaction

2) Code 309.28 - Description: Adjustment disorder with mixed axiety and depressed mood

3) 309.81 - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Description: Preoccupation with traumatic events beyond normal experience.  i.e., rape, personal assault, combat, natural disasters, accidents, torture precipitate disorder, also recurring flashbacks of trauma; symptoms include difficulty remembering, sleeping, or concentrating, and guilt feelings for surviving.

I hope this is helpful.


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## dmaec (May 12, 2009)

nope...I wouldn't code anything "more" into that dx... it is what the doctor states ....hopefully this person will make it through it ok, but right now - there's a bit of anxiety due to what has happened. I wouldn't be giving anybody a "depression" dx, unless the provider states it directly.  I'd go with anxiety and leave it at that -  you don't need anything more.  300.00 does not state "code underlying problem" or "use additional code"... 
300.00 is enough.

in my opinion.


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## whaleheadking (May 12, 2009)

I'm not against an adjustment order code if the documentation supports it and I would probably go with grief reaction assuming that's the underlying cause.  Anxiety tells me the patient is worried he or she may share the same fate rather than going through a sense of loss.  

Also, depressed mood is not the same as depression if the dx is adjustment disorder.

The documentation should support the code either way.


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