Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: The only reason documented for a cath lab service is "elevated creatine kinase." Which ICD-9 code is appropriate?

Nebraska Subscriber

Answer: You should use nonspecific code 790.5 (Other nonspecific abnormal serum enzyme levels) to report these elevated creatine kinase levels.

MI connection: Enzyme levels may rise in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms, so physicians may send these patients to the catheterization lab to check for MI. But remember you shouldn't report an MI code (such as 410.xx, Acute myocardial infarction) unless the cardiologist documents that diagnosis.

-- You Be the Coder and Reader Questions prepared with the assistance of Jim Collins, CCC, CPC, ACS-CA, CHCC, president of CardiologyCoder.Com.