General Surgery Coding Alert

Little changes from ICD-9 to ICD-10 for this condition.

Your surgeon may diagnose a peritoneal abscess when a procedure such as abdominal paracentesis confirms a pocket of infected fluid and pus within the abdominal cavity.

That's when you'll turn to 567.22 (Peritoneal abscess) to describe the diagnosis. But when ICD-9 shifts to ICD-10 on Oct. 1, 2013, you'll need to report the condition with K65.1 (Peritoneal abscess).

Code cause, if known: The condition is often caused by a ruptured appendix, ruptured intestinal diverticulum, inflammatory bowel disease, or parasitic infection in the intestines. You should also code those conditions, if documented.

Although an abdominal CT scan will often uncover the abscess, your surgeon may perform a paracentesis procedure or peritoneal lavage to confirm the diagnosis.

Documentation: Take note of other similar terms that the physician could use when describing peritoneal abscess. K65.1 is also applicable to abdominopelvic abscess, abscess (of) omentum, abscess (of) peritoneum, mesenteric abscess, retrocecal abscess, subdiaphragmatic abscess, subhepatic abscess, and subphrenic abscess.