ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Remember: You need to incorporate these codes without a grace period

Emergency department coders and physicians will have to get used to some new diagnosis codes this fall -- the 2007 version of ICD-9 features over 200 added codes to represent your patients- symptoms.
 
A preliminary list of the new, revised and invalid ICD-9 codes for 2007 appeared in an April edition of the Federal Register. These codes will be valid on Oct. 1, 2006. -While the lists of diagnosis codes are official, they are not complete. It is expected that there will be additional new diagnosis codes released in the official addenda to ICD-9-CM Volumes 1 and 2,- according to an Ingenix release.
 
Breakdown: Ingenix reports that the 2007 ICD-9 will feature 204 new diagnosis codes, 55 revised diagnosis codes, and 28 invalid diagnosis codes.

ED Coders Should Note These ICD-9 Items

Here are the new diagnosis codes for 2007 that are of particular interest to ED coders:

 - 238.71 -- Essential thrombocythemia
 - 238.79 -- Other lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues
 - 284.1  -- Pancytopenia
 - 288.60 -- Leukocytosis, unspecified
 - 288.62 -- Leukemoid reaction
 - 323.01 -- Encephalitis and encephalomyelitis in viral diseases classified elsewhere
 - 323.41 -- Other encephalitis and encephalomyelitis due to infection classified elsewhere
 - 323.42 -- Other myelitis due to infection classified elsewhere
 - 323.51 -- Encephalitis and encephalomyelitis following immunization procedures
 - 333.72 -- Acute dystonia due to drugs
 - 519.11 -- Acute bronchospasm
 - 519.19 -- Other diseases of trachea and bronchus
 - 608.20 -- Torsion of testis, unspecified
 - 608.23 -- Torsion of appendix testis
 - 649.51 -- Spotting complicating pregnancy, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition
 - 649.53 -- Spotting complicating pregnancy, antepartum condition or complication
 - 729.72 -- Nontraumatic compartment syndrome of  lower extremity
 - 729.73 -- Nontraumatic compartment syndrome of abdomen
 - 729.79 -- Nontraumatic compartment syndrome of other sites
 - 780.32 -- Complex febrile convulsions
 - 780.96 -- Generalized pain
 - 780.97 -- Altered mental status
 - 784.91 -- Postnasal drip
 - 793.91 -- Image test inconclusive due to excess body fat
 - 958.9x -- Compartment syndrome
 - V58.30 -- Encounter for change or removal of  nonsurgical wound dressing
 - V58.31 -- Encounter for change or removal of surgical wound dressing
 - V58.32 -- Encounter for removal of sutures.