# how to code?



## ohn0disaster (Jan 4, 2011)

*how to code? condition + symptom?*

Ok, I just wanted to be sure about something. I have a doctor that writes "Myelodysplastic syndrome with anemia" as, say, DX #1. Then DX #2 will be "Anemia secondary to Myelodysplastic syndrome".

I was under the impression that anemia is a SYMPTOM of Myelodysplastic syndrome, thus eliminating the need to code the anemia since you're not supposed to code the symptom of a disease when the disease has been confirmed and coded. ie 250.00 + 790.29 
He seems so intent on grinding that anemia DX in though so it's made me unsure. Should I be coding anemia in chronic illness, 285.29, along with the code for MDS?

Thanks in advance!


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## ohn0disaster (Jan 5, 2011)

Anyone have an opinion on this? Anything that could point me in the right direction, maybe?


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## siddika_82@hotmail.com (Jan 5, 2011)

I would think you would only code Myelodysplastic syndrome. but you could take other peoples suggestion i might be wrong.


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## terribrown (Jan 5, 2011)

When the physician is writing a second dx such as "anemia secondary to myelodysplastic syndrome", he is describing a manifestation of the disease and therefore a seperate code for the anemia is needed. Without a specified type of anemia, I would code 238.75 then 285.22 for the anemia because myelodysplastic syndrome is a neoplastic disease.


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