Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

ICD-10 provides very specific diagnosis choices.

Sleep apnea is an involuntary stoppage of breathing that occurs while the patient is asleep. Patients present with one three types of sleep apnea, described as follows in ICD-10:

• Obstructive – G47.33 (Obstructive sleep apnea [adult] [pediatric])
  
• Central – G47.31 (Primary central sleep apnea) or G47.37 (Central sleep apnea in conditions classified elsewhere)
  
• Mixed – G47.39 (Other sleep apnea).
  

The majority of cases you’ll see are likely obstructive type sleep apnea.

Although the cause of each type of sleep apnea is different, the common factor is that all patients stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. The sleeper remains unaware of these breath stoppages because they don’t trigger a full awakening. The usual symptoms include loud snoring, occasional waking up with a choking or gasping sensation, waking up with a very sore or dry throat, sleepiness or lack of energy during the day, restless sleep, or morning headaches.

ICD-10 includes a range of diagnosis codes for sleep apnea in addition to those listed above. As always, select the most appropriate code based on your provider’s documentation:

• G47.30 – Sleep apnea, unspecified
  
• G47.32 – High altitude periodic breathing
  
• G47.34 – Idiopathic sleep related nonobstructive alveolar hypoventilation
  
• G47.36 – Sleep related hypoventilation in conditions classified elsewhere.