Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Question: Our patient has an implanted vascular port infected with Staph aureus resistant to penicillin and bacitracin. She also has hypertension. How should I code for her?


Texas Subscriber

Answer: Code this scenario as follows:

• M0230a: 996.62 (Infection and inflammatory reaction due to internal prosthetic device, implant, and graft; due to other vascular device, implant and graft);

• M0240b: 041.11 (Staphylococcal aureus);

• M0240c: V09.0 (Infection with microorganisms resistant to penicillins);

• M0240d: V09.81 (Infection with microorganisms resistant to other specified drugs; with resistance to multiple drugs); and

• M0240e: 401.9 (Essential hypertension; unspecified).

Code 996.62 describes complications involving infections to vascular catheters, including implanted vascular devices. Remember not to use V58.81 (Fitting and adjustment of vascular catheter) when the device is complicated. The V code indicates routine care of such a device.

You must report both V09.0 and V09.81 for this patient because V09.0 indicates methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and is important for statistical purposes, while V09.81 indicates your patient's further resistance.

Unless otherwise indicated, reader questions were answered by Lisa Selman-Holman, JD, BSN, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, consultant and principal of Selman-Holman & Associates in Denton, TX.