# Erythema migrans-? Lyme disease



## SUEV (Oct 7, 2016)

If the patient has erythema migrans and the provider is testing for Lyme disease by sending out for blood work, what code would be used?  The encoder the providers use all link erythema migrans to the Lyme disease code (A69.20) even though Chronicum was not noted in the chart.  In the ICD-10 Index, erythema migrans is linked to A26.0 for cutaneous erysipeloid which seems to be another specific type of bacterial infection.  The patient was started on doxycycline and the next day lab results turned out to be negative for Lyme.  I'm just looking for confirmation that I'm reading this right and I should be coding A26.0 (cutaneous erysipeloid) for erythema migrans following a tick bite.
Thanks, 
Sue


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## danskangel313 (Oct 9, 2016)

SUEV said:


> If the patient has erythema migrans and the provider is testing for Lyme disease by sending out for blood work, what code would be used?  The encoder the providers use all link erythema migrans to the Lyme disease code (A69.20) even though Chronicum was not noted in the chart.  In the ICD-10 Index, erythema migrans is linked to A26.0 for cutaneous erysipeloid which seems to be another specific type of bacterial infection.  The patient was started on doxycycline and the next day lab results turned out to be negative for Lyme.  I'm just looking for confirmation that I'm reading this right and I should be coding A26.0 (cutaneous erysipeloid) for erythema migrans following a tick bite.
> Thanks,
> Sue



Cutaneous erysipeloid = Erythema migrans, so A26.0 would be correct to report the rash if the provider believes it's "generically" bacterial. The testing was done to verify the type of bacteria, to confirm if it was the type that causes Lyme Disease (in your case, it was not). I would also report the tick bite as a supplementary code.


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## SUEV (Oct 11, 2016)

Thanks for the feedback!


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