# Anemia Requiring Transfusion



## JeannieG (Nov 23, 2009)

Hello. I'm hoping someone will be able to help me with this question. I'm kind of new to the coding world, and am trying to code for a physician who had a patient in the hospital. This patient had Anemia (along with other problems) that was under control when they first went into the hospital, but eventually it worsened and they ended up giving them a transfusion.

Is there a specific ICD-9 code that I should use besides the Anemia code that shows Anemia Requiring Transfusion?

For the days that it was under control, I used 281.9 (Anemia, megaloblastic)

Thanks for any help.


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## mitchellde (Nov 23, 2009)

JeannieG said:


> Hello. I'm hoping someone will be able to help me with this question. I'm kind of new to the coding world, and am trying to code for a physician who had a patient in the hospital. This patient had Anemia (along with other problems) that was under control when they first went into the hospital, but eventually it worsened and they ended up giving them a transfusion.
> 
> Is there a specific ICD-9 code that I should use besides the Anemia code that shows Anemia Requiring Transfusion?
> 
> ...



Is that what was documented?  or just anemia.  If you know the type the use that or if it is due to blood loss then use that.   281.9 is a very specific type of anemia.  In your post you state the patient had anemia along with other problems, so how did you arrive at the code 281.9?


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## JeannieG (Nov 23, 2009)

mitchellde said:


> Is that what was documented?  or just anemia.  If you know the type the use that or if it is due to blood loss then use that.   281.9 is a very specific type of anemia.  In your post you state the patient had anemia along with other problems, so how did you arrive at the code 281.9?



I asked the physician about it. She told me it was megaloblastic. A decline in potassium is documented.

The discharge diagnoses are listed as:

Urosepsis with Pneumonia
Dysphagia
Anemia Requiring Transfusion

I just thought there might actually be one code that describes Anemia Requiring Trasfusion...but I couldn't find any.


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## mitchellde (Nov 23, 2009)

Ok but the physician telling you something and documenting it can be two different things, she must document the megaloblastic.  If the physician just documents anemia it is 285.9 and anemia requiring blood transfusion is 285.9.  We must see documetation of an acute blood loss to call this blood loss anemia.  Again I go back to what was written in the physician's note?


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## JeannieG (Nov 23, 2009)

mitchellde said:


> Ok but the physician telling you something and documenting it can be two different things, she must document the megaloblastic.  If the physician just documents anemia it is 285.9 and anemia requiring blood transfusion is 285.9.  We must see documetation of an acute blood loss to call this blood loss anemia.  Again I go back to what was written in the physician's note?



Okay. Thanks for your help. Now that I have investigated, I have been supplied with the rest of the report. (I did not realize that I only had the 1st page of a 3 page report.) I guess I will learn to look at even how many pages the report should be.

Yes, chronic megaloblastic anemia is documented along with the fact that their red count declined very slowly. They were given 2 units packed red blood cells. So I know 289.1 is correct, but I'm still not sure if I should also add a code for the transfusion. Should I add 285.9 ? Or do I just leave it at 289.1 ?

I do appreciate your help on this.


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## mitchellde (Nov 23, 2009)

You will leave as the megaloblastic anemia only.


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## JeannieG (Nov 23, 2009)

mitchellde said:


> You will leave as the megaloblastic anemia only.



Thank you. That's what I kind of thought, but it helps to have it confirmed.


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