ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: Which ICD-10-CM codes should I report for septic pulmonary embolisms?

Alaska Subscriber

Answer: For septic pulmonary embolisms, you should report either I26.01 (Septic pulmonary embolism with acute cor pulmonale) or I26.90 (Septic pulmonary embolism without acute cor pulmonale).

Don’t miss: As you can see, the code descriptor for I26.01 specifies a septic pulmonary embolism “with acute cor pulmonale.” On the other hand, the descriptor for I26.90 is for a septic pulmonary embolism “without acute cor pulmonale.”

If your provider doesn’t identify the specific type of pulmonary embolism, you should report I26.99 (Other pulmonary embolism without acute cor pulmonale). Code I26.99 also includes the conditions “acute pulmonary embolism NOS” and “pulmonary embolism NOS.”

Whether reporting septic arterial or pulmonary embolisms, you should never report these codes as the primary diagnosis. Instead, septic embolism codes come with the instructions to “code first the underlying infection.”